


For Better and For Worse

by caitastrophe8499



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitastrophe8499/pseuds/caitastrophe8499
Summary: AU - Fake DatingWhen Sara's invited to her ex's wedding, her friends come up with an insane plan for her to bring a fake boyfriend. Enter Leonard.I needed some Soft!Leonard, so this happened.
Relationships: Sara Lance/Leonard Snart
Comments: 141
Kudos: 88





	1. Chapter 1

“It’s not that bad,” Nora said gently.

Sara lifted her head off of the polished bartop, seeing that Constantine had refilled her glass for her while she was wallowing, and dragged it towards her. “It’s worse than bad, Nora.”

The brunette winced in agreement and Sara groaned, downing her drink and putting her head back down. Nora patted her on the shoulder, the two of them having a fairly close relationship since Sara had moved into one of the empty rooms Nora had posted on Craigslist two years ago.

“Whoa, someone’s going hard tonight.”

Sara didn’t have to look up to know that voice belonged to Cisco Ramon. The waft of familiar perfume meant that another of Sara’s roommates, Lisa, had also arrived.

“What’s going on?” Lisa asked, taking the seat next to Sara.

Sara slid her phone over without lifting her head and knew exactly when Lisa realized what had happened.

“That  _ bitch _ !” Lisa snapped.

Nora hummed in agreement. “I texted Cait to meet us here. We need some advice.”

“I have advice, burn her house down.”

“Who’s burning what now?”

Sara lifted her head, seeing that the entire group of friends was just about here as Lisa’s brother Leonard and his best friend Mick joined them. With Sara, Nora, Lisa, and Caitlin becoming roommates, they’d inadvertently combined some very odd friendships into one large, yet comfortable group.

Lisa had introduced her brother and Mick to Sara upon learning that she attended the gym Leonard and Mick owned and was looking for some work. Caitlin had brought some of her work friends home, including Cisco Ramon, which had sparked that relationship, and Nora was engaged to Ray Palmer, who owned the Legends bar they often spent the weekends in. Constantine had just appeared in the bar one day, got a job, and joined their group without them realizing it, and the chaos seemed to work. They could hang out together or in some very odd combinations.

“Oi,” Constantine shouted as Nora started to explain, “move it to the booth, you’re blocking the way.

Picking up her once again filled glass, Sara followed the shuffle to their usual corner booth and found herself wedged between Nora and Leonard. Three pitchers of beer landed in the middle, along with a mountain of fries, and after a few moments of chaos, the group quieted down enough that Mick, on the very edge, asked again, “Whose house are we burning down?”

“No one’s,” Nora said.

“Not yet,” Lisa added mutinously.

“What’s going on?” Ray asked, having come in from the back and joining them as he usually did for a while.

Sara could feel Nora and Lisa looking at her, waiting for her permission, so Sara forced a smile. “Ava texted me. She invited me to her wedding on Friday.”

Cisco gasped, “No.”

“Yup,” Sara said, throwing back her drink.

“Don’t worry about it, Sara,” Ray said. “You’ll just come here, and drink all night, for free.”

She winced and Leonard looked at her, frowning. “Oh, Lance, tell me you didn’t.”

“I said I would go,” she confirmed, and the table groaned around her.

“Sara, what were you thinking?” Lisa said.

“I wasn’t! She was just so thrilled and said I could bring whoever I was seeing, and I couldn’t tell her I wasn’t seeing anyone! Then she wins the breakup.”

“There aren’t winners in breakups,” Ray tried to assure her.

“Yes, there are,” half the table said.

“I’m just pissed,” Sara said, sinking further into her seat. “I thought...I had brought up getting married, and she’s the one who said no, and not even five months later, she’s getting married? That’s shitty, right?”

“Definitely shitty,” Nora agreed.

“The shittiest,” Cisco added.

“I never liked her,” Mick said through a loud belch.

“We know you didn’t,” Leonard said. “You told her, multiple times.”

“It’s fine, I’ll just say I’m going, and then get a case of food poisoning Thursday night,” Sara said.

A small woman in a beautiful emerald cocktail dress appeared at the end of their table, panting slightly. “No, you absolutely will not.” Caitlin Snow grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the edge of their full booth. “You are going to that wedding, with the perfect new someone, and you’re going to make that woman regret ever giving you up, and you’re going to win the breakup.”

“Cait,” started Ray, “does anyone ever win at a breakup?”

A taller and arrogantly handsome man came in behind Caitlin, catching the tail end of that question. “Of course there’s a winner in breakups. Where have you been?”

Ray gaped for a second. “Not winning breakups, apparently.”

“Hey, Harry,” Leonard greeted. Harrison nodded, his suit looking out of place in the dive bar, especially in the face of Leonard’s dark jeans and sweater. “Interrupt date night?”

Harrison shrugged. “I was told that it was a matter of life and death, and I wasn’t about to argue.”

“It is,” Lisa agreed. “Ava’s death.”

“Oh, Ms. Sharpe, huh?” Wells winced. “I never really cared for her.”

“No one did,” Cisco muttered.

Sara looked up at that one, “Wait, seriously?”

Hesitant sounds of agreement came from everyone.

“Then why didn’t anyone say something?” Sara asked.

“I did,” Mick said, and was ignored.

“Because you said you were happy,” Nora explained.

“Even though you obviously weren’t,” Leonard added quietly.

Sara glanced over at him with a frown, but before she could question him further, Caitlin spoke up again.

“What we need is for someone to go with Sara to this wedding and pretend to be her date.”

“Wait a second,” Sara started.

Caitlin looked around the table, already going through the group. “Cisco, Lisa, me, Wells, Ray, Nora, you’re all out.”

“What? Why?” Ray asked, sounding offended.

“Committed relationships that Ava knew about,” Caitlin said, as if it was obvious. “Barry and Iris are out for the same reason, as are Nate and Zari.” She looked at the ones left. “Constantine is out.”

“What the hell?”

“Serial dater with known commitment issues,” Caitlin said flatly. “Ava won’t believe it for a second.”

Constantine stared at her for a moment, then straightened up. “I’m feeling a little attacked, to be honest.”

Sara lifted her empty glass. “Want to get me a refill then?”

He took her cup and disappeared in the back, with another glare at Caitlin.

“Charlie wouldn’t be terrible, but she’s out of town until next Monday. I already called, but her band is booked up,” Caitlin said.

At least going with Charlie would have been fun. She knew how to party.

“Rip is in town, but-”

“No,” Sara interrupted. Rip was a decent human being, but she didn’t want to pretend to date him. Rip had some issues with boundaries.

“I figured,” Caitlin said. “I didn’t ask him.”

Constantine came back with the drink while Caitlin continued.

“Mick, you’re out because everyone knows you hated Ava, and would never go to her wedding unless it was to intentionally ruin it.”

“Fact,” Mick said, raising his glass towards Sara and taking a sip, which she did as well.

“So,” Caitlin said with a note of finality, “that just leaves Leonard.”

Sara didn't choke on her drink, but it was a close thing.

"Me?" Leonard said, sounding surprised.

"Sure. You two have been friends for a couple of years, so even though your fake relationship is new, you'd feel comfortable enough going out of town for a weekend together, Ava knows you, and Leonard’s not the type to date around, so she'll believe it's serious."

Leonard's smile was self-deprecating. "I don't think she'll believe it."

"Why not?" Cisco asked.

"I'm too old."

"No older than me," Harrison said.

"It'll work." Cait took a sip of her drink. "We all knew that Ava felt threatened by you."

"We did?" Leonard asked.

Sara glanced at him, knowing the answer to that, but their notoriously argumentative group seemed to be in complete agreement with Caitlin’s idea, and drowned out her attempt at an answer.

Over the murmurs of agreement and negative comments about Ava, Sara leaned over to Leonard and kept her voice low. "You really don't have to do this. I'll be fine."

"Undoubtedly," he said, gazing at his drink. He took in a breath and caught her eye, a small smirk in place. "But I would feel guilty about letting you lose to her."

Sara smiled, knocking into his shoulder. "Thanks, Len."

"You're welcome, Lance."

* * *

Two days later, Sara found herself amongst a pile of rejected dresses as Caitlin and Lisa went through Nora’s closet, having already worked their way through Lisa’s and Sara’s with no winners. Nora was on her way back, and Zari was video chatting in.

Lisa lifted up a dress for votes.

“No,” Zari shouted. “Red is not her color.”

“Hey,” Sara said, leaning forward to glare at Zari on the screen.

“Yeah, sure, you think you look great in everything, but red is not your color. Not that shade of red.”

Lisa hummed, holding the dress up. “I didn’t think Nora had it in her.”

“I bet she hasn’t worn that for Ray yet,” Caitlin said.

“Why not?”

“Because he wouldn’t be able to speak for days,” Caitlin grinned.

They laughed, but they moved the dress to the no pile and continued on, passing over another six dresses before Lisa paused.

“Yesss,” she said, sounding exactly like her brother. “Perfect.”

She lifted up a delicate blue dress with a halter top and handkerchief skirt. It was a beautiful color, but Sara hesitated as she looked at the lack of sleeves.

“I don’t know,” Sara said slowly. “That’s a little...revealing.”

Zari’s mic gave off static as she scooted forward. “Are you uncomfortable with no sleeves? You had a dress like this when we went clubbing.”

“Yeah, but...my arms are all messed up. Ava used to -”

Lisa cut in, her eyes glittering in anger. “Fuck Ava. Before her, you weren’t ashamed of showing a little skin.”

“She said-”

“Sara,” Caitlin said, taking a step closer. “You served in the military for six years. Anyone would have scars. And those who don’t understand that, or make you feel bad for that, don’t deserve your consideration.”

“Besides,” Lisa said, pushing the dress towards her, “this is Lenny’s favorite color and you’re going with him, not Ava.”

Following the silent command, Sara got changed into the blue dress. Caitlin zipped her up, then Sara turned to face Lisa and Zari on the camera.

“Damn,” Zari said simply.

It felt nice. Pretty. Ava had encouraged her to wear dresses with sleeves because her arms had too many scars and muscles to look feminine. But she liked sleeveless dresses, and the cut of this flattered her figure.

“Lenny is going to lose his shit,” Lisa said, grinning.

“It’s not a real date,” Sara reminded her.

Lisa smirked. “Not yet.”

“I’m sorry,” Sara said, wriggling her arms back to unzip the dress and change back into her jeans and long sleeve henley. “But it sounds like you’re trying to set me up with your older brother and my boss.”

“Please, like you two don’t go out and get drinks every Wednesday night,” Lisa countered, still looking through Nora’s closet, everything put away except for Sara's choice and the red dress she’d liked earlier.

Caitlin glanced at her, eyes raised.

“It’s just drinks as friends,” Sara explained.

“Sure,” Lisa said, sounding skeptical.

“You guys talk a lot?” Zari asked.

“Yeah, about work. And he helps out with my classes sometimes. And he doesn’t…” Sara hesitated, lowering her eyes to the ground for a moment as she grabbed her phone. “He doesn’t mind that I’m,” she waggled her fingers by her head, “messed up.”

“Sara…” Caitlin chastised gently.

“Did Ava call it messed up?” Zari asked.

Sara didn’t answer, still feeling like it was a betrayal to say anything negative about Ava. She’d been wonderful in so many ways - motivated, confident, beautiful, classic, professional. But she wanted Sara to be more like her. But where Ava was motivated, Sara was content. Where Ava was confident, Sara was brazen. Sublime to Ava’s beautiful. Abnormal to her classic. Approachable to her professional.

Being blown up by a friendly IED six years into her service hadn’t been in Sara’s plans, and neither had her honorary discharge. Ava said she understood Sara’s PTSD and scars, and Sara believed her, at first. But then it became clear that Ava expected her to move on from them, and Sara had tried. But some things never went away, and Ava didn’t want to hear about Sara’s past. Just her future. Their future. Ava’s idea for their future.

Despite being hurt that Ava had broken it off and was now so quickly getting married, Sara had to silently admit to a sense of relief.

Her silence apparently spoke volumes.

Lisa took in a deep breath, paused, then let it out, obviously reconsidering what she was going to say. “Lenny likes getting drinks with you. Says you’re the smartest one in our group, other than him. Which I’d take offense to, but he’s right.”

“Excuse me?” Caitlin said, narrowing her eyes.

“How long did it take you and Harry to pull your heads out of your asses and get together?” Zari asked, the smile obvious.

Caitlin glanced at her, then shrugged. “Okay. Point taken.”

“We’re just friends,” Sara said.

“Everybody else in here is friends with Lenny, too,” Lisa said. “Anybody else get drinks with him regularly?”

Sara knew that was a no. Mick did, and Barry and Harry occasionally, but no one else.

“So what do you talk about?” Zari asked.

Sara shrugged. “Whatever.”

“Do you talk about your time in the service?” Caitlin asked, looking away.

Sara cut her eyes at her. “Sometimes.”

Caitlin didn’t say anything else at the moment, allowing the others.

“He thinks you’re pretty,” Lisa said.

“And you think he’s hot,” Zari reminded her, making Lisa’s grin widen like the Cheshire Cat’s.

“God, remind me never to drink again when your brother’s in town,” Sara groaned, leaning against the wall.

Lisa was still grinning at her, so Sara rolled her eyes. “Fine, yes, I think your brother’s hot. But so does everyone else.”

Caitlin shrugged, acknowledging the truth of that, and Zari’s murmured assent was there, too.

“Look,” Lisa said, hanging the red dress over her arm. “I’m not trying to make things weird. I’m just saying that Lenny thinks highly of you, and you deserve better than Ava. You always did. So if something happens, not that it has to, but  _ if _ it does, I’ve got no problem with you and Lenny.”

“Thanks,” Sara deadpanned.

“For what it’s worth,” Caitlin said, “I don’t think Leonard would do this for just anyone.”

“We’re friends,” she repeated.

“Okay,” Caitlin said, smiling.

The conversation was ended when Nora came in through the door, seeing the dress in Sara’s hand. “Oh, I missed it?” she asked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An uncharacteristic (relative) lack of angst for me this time, guys.
> 
> Who's ready for some open goddamn communication and some fucking honesty?!?!

Sara rolled her neck around, holding on tightly to the steering wheel.

“You need me to drive for a bit?” Leonard asked from the passenger seat.

“I’m okay,” she said.

“Let me know if you want to switch,” he added, sounding unconcerned.

They were three hours on the road, because not only had Ava invited her last minute, it had to be to a destination wedding in oh so scenic Metropolis. Sara had nearly blown a gasket over seeing where she was getting married - the Museum of Art. Having made a passing comment over how beautiful their gardens were and how nice it would be to get married there, Sara was pissed that it’s where Ava decided to tie the knot.

“How are you doing with all this?” Leonard asked, uncapping the water he’d bought at the last gas station stop. Sara had grabbed a giant coffee that she knew she’d regret, but she needed caffeine to focus enough to drive.

“I’m fine,” Sara said, reaching for the bag that held the licorice she’d purchased. Leonard saw what she was going for and grabbed it, tearing open the bag. He didn’t pass it over immediately, catching her eye.

“Okay,” she relented, snatching the candy. “I’m pissed. She said she didn’t believe in marriage. Turns out, she just didn’t believe in marriage to me.”

Leonard hummed, taking a piece of licorice as she offered it. “Just pissed?”

Sara glanced at him. “I’m not in love with her anymore. I’m not that stupid.”

“Never said you were stupid, Lance. And love makes fools of everyone. You were together for a while. Makes sense that you might still be...attached.”

Sara snorted, an impolite sound Ava had hated. “I’m not. It’s really just anger.” She stared at the road, then admitted, “Okay, 95% anger. 5% hurt.”

Leonard leaned against the door, one long leg stretched out as much as it could be in front of him. He’d ditched his usual sweater for a long sleeve shirt, which he’d rolled up over his forearms, the heat pounding through the windshield despite the air pumping through the car.

Despite this being Leonard’s car, he’d relented immediately when she asked to drive. Ava had always made a big fuss about driving her car, and claiming that Sara mustn’t like driving, since she didn’t own a car. She just hated having other people drive her. She could handle it sometimes, more so when she was tired, but she preferred to be the one behind the wheel.

“She does seem to have rebounded quickly,” Leonard observed, his eyes on the countryside.

“Yeah,” Sara muttered. “She’s getting married, and I get to roll up with a fake date.”

“I don’t have to go.”

Someone else might have sounded bitter or resentful that Sara wasn’t thanking them for giving up their weekend to be her fake date to her ex’s wedding. Not Leonard. It was a legitimate offer.

Sara let out a short breath, trying to dispel her irritation with the situation. “That’s not what I mean. I’m really grateful you’re here.”

“I know.”

“I just...even if she thinks she’s lost, I know that she’s won,” Sara said, letting go of the steering wheel with one hand to rub her eyes. “She’s getting married.”

“But not to you.”

“Like I’m such a catch,” she laughed, self-deprecating.

“You are.”

Sara glanced at him, taking her eyes off the road for the first time in a few hours, to gauge his sincerity. “Right,” she scoffed.

“When I met you,” Leonard said, “you had to turn down dates you got offered so many.”

“First dates. I didn’t get asked out for a second one all that often.”

She’d learned not to lie about her past, since it always came up. She couldn’t spend the night because of nightmares, she couldn’t sleep with someone without the questions about her scars, she couldn’t let someone else drive her, couldn’t sit with her back to the door, couldn’t stand fireworks or loud, unexpected noises...the list went on for an embarrassingly long time. That scared off most of her potential dates. Only her closest friends were comfortable with it.

“That’s just because you haven’t met the right one.”

“I’m beginning to think I never will,” Sara said. Before Leonard could comment, she reached forward and turned on the radio. He didn’t try to say anything after that.

A few hours later, Sara’s eyes were growing heavy with the sun heating up the inside of the car and making her drowsy. She pulled into a rest stop to get more gas and leaned on the side of the car as she watched the numbers tick up.

“Would you mind driving for a bit?” she asked, the pressure of a pill bottle in her pocket making the question a little easier.

“Sure,” Leonard answered. They switched spots, Leonard having to push the driver’s seat back nearly a foot before he could fit. Sara climbed into the passenger side, buckling her seatbelt and watching Leonard carefully as he adjusted the mirrors to suit him.

“You ready?” he asked.

She just nodded, knowing she was too tired to keep driving safely, but still not entirely comfortable. They only had another couple of hours to go; she could handle it.

Leonard was a good driver and didn’t comment on how Sara stared at him and the road. They didn’t talk much at all, and eventually, she felt her eyes slide closed as she started to doze.

She didn't know how long she slept before the car’s wheels started to hit a rhythmic beat on the tar, a thump-thump-thump that kept going and seemed to get louder. It pervaded her doze, bringing back memories of helicopter blades coming closer, someone calling over the radio, a scream as the Humvee they were in pitched off the road and hurtled through the air, pain bursting through Sara’s stomach as -

Sara jerked upright with a strangled shout, grabbing the handle of the door. But she wasn’t in a Humvee, she was in Leonard’s car, on the highway, not in the desert. There were no helicopters, there wasn’t any blood. Leonard immediately put on the hazards and pulled off to the side, stopping the car entirely before he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face her.

“You’re okay, Sara. You’re in a car, we just entered Metropolis’s city limits. It’s just after six. We’re heading to the hotel. You’re safe. You’re okay.” 

She was still trying to get her breathing under control, but waved her hand at him, acknowledging that she knew where she was now, not that it helped the panic in this moment.

Familiar with her episodes, Leonard understood the gesture, and took her hand in one of his, pulling it to rest on his chest, where she could feel his slower, calmer breaths and try to match them, the steady beat of his heart an additional soothing rhythm. His other hand pressed at the top of her back, along her neck. She instinctively pushed back against the pressure, but it helped to ground her. Her one free hand tapped against the seat, a release valve for the rest of the anxiety. Soon, but not soon enough for her, she was able to slow the tapping to match his heartbeat, then stop it entirely.

She let out a slow breath, the adrenaline leaving her shaky, but she managed a little smile as she pulled her hand free of his and away from his chest. Leonard drew back immediately, returning to his side of the car.

“Sorry,” she said.

“We had a deal,” he reminded her gently.

The first time she’d had an episode in the gym when she was on the clock, she’d locked herself in the bathroom as she tried to ride it out. When it had passed, she’d opened the door to find a livid looking Leonard outside, and he’d demanded to speak with her in his office. She’d been so convinced that she was going to get fired. She’d gone in spouting off apologies and false promises that it wouldn’t happen again. Leonard had silenced her immediately. Instead, the acquaintance and boss she’d only know for a few weeks told her that if she ever had another moment like that, she was to go to his office immediately. Privacy was one thing, he’d said, but she couldn’t be somewhere they couldn’t get to her. What if she’d collapsed? What if she’d hit her head?

She hadn’t considered that, too used to hiding her issues from everyone else. Leonard said he didn’t care what happened, as long as she didn’t hurt herself.

She hadn’t really understood until the next time she’d had an episode after the gym was closed; she’d been locking up. Leonard had talked her down much in the same way he’d done now. Grounding her, reminding her where she was, giving her something else to focus on. He obviously had experience in episodes like this, though she didn’t figure out why for a while after, until she saw his scars, and Lisa had a few too many drinks one night, spilling the harsh reality of their childhoods.

After that, she’d invited him out for a drink, and he’d taken her up on it. Despite not being her original intention, it had blossomed into a close friendship and a Wednesday night tradition. It was at one of those nights that she’d tried to apologize for her issues, but he’d interrupted her, saying that he never wanted to hear an apology from her about it, ever.

“Okay,” she said, still quiet. “I’m okay.”

“Do you need another minute?”

“No, I’m fine,” Sara said, taking the pill bottle out of her pocket and popping one, swallowing it dry. Leonard stared at her, before putting his seatbelt back on, taking the hazards off, and pulling back out onto the road.

It was another mile or so before he spoke again. “Thought you said Caitlin took you off of those.”

Sara put the bottle into her bag, not looking at him. “Ava didn’t like it.”

Leonard sighed, rubbing his eyes with his free hand. “Jesus, Lance.”

“Yeah, I know,” Sara muttered, sinking into her seat and looking out the window.

He was quiet for a while, the only sound being the buzz of the tires on the highway. Finally, Leonard sighed in frustration. “Can I just...what the hell did you see in her?”

“I don’t know,” Sara admitted. “I...I just liked her. I liked who I was with her.”

“Did you, though?”

The words slid into silence until Sara couldn’t take it anymore. “I liked who she was trying to make me into. Someone normal.”

It was quiet again for a while, and Sara appreciated it. It was one of the things she liked about Leonard; he didn’t feel the need to fill silences with empty chatter or meaningless gossip. So when he spoke, Sara listened, and it always felt like he listened to her closely in return.

“I thought you knew,” Leonard said unexpectedly, his eyes on the road in front of them, “that none of us thought less of you. None of us thought you weren’t...normal, or whatever you thought you had to be.”

“I know,” she said automatically.

Her quick answer didn’t seem to appease him. Sara saw him looking at her before turning back to the road.

“I didn’t at first,” Sara admitted. “But when I started working with you, it helped. Everybody helped, no one ever treated me differently. I knew you didn’t think less of me. And then...”

“Ava,” Leonard finished, disdain clear in his voice.

Sara stared at him, but he didn’t look at her. “Why didn’t you like her? Really.”

He scoffed. “Do you really need to ask?”

The question was obvious enough, so Sara didn’t elaborate.

Leonard sighed. “You were happy before her. She made you doubt yourself. Hate yourself.”

“I didn’t -”

Despite the setting sun, she saw Leonard’s eyes cut across to her, dark in the faint glow of the car’s dashboard. “I can recognize self-loathing, Lance. Ava made you feel like you weren’t good enough, when she was the one who wasn’t good enough. You deserve someone who doesn’t make you feel small or less. You’re not. She tried to control you, telling you where to work, how to dress, when to see your friends.” He shook his head with a scoff, and Sara knew he was referring to their Wednesday nights, which had stopped for a while when she was dating Ava. “She told you who to be, when we all liked you the way you were. That’s why I hated her.”

“Hated?” Sara echoed.

“Yeah,” he said, sounding surprised himself. “Hid it better than Mick, but I hated her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for her. It wasn’t your fault.”

“But I brought her around, if I’d known -”

“Then you would have had to choose between her and us. None of us wanted to put you in that position, that’s why we didn’t say anything. Except Mick,” he added as an afterthought.

“Except Mick,” Sara repeated with a smile, feeling the last bits of shaky adrenaline fade. The road passed beneath her, not bringing back memories now, and Sara felt herself calming even more, comforted by the quiet and trusting Leonard to drive.

“I have one more question,” Leonard said.

“Shoot.” She always told Leonard as much of the truth as she possibly could.

“Caitlin said Ava was threatened by me. Why?”

Sara laughed, then realized it was a legitimate question. “Wait, you seriously don’t know?”

Leonard glared at her good-naturedly. “I’m not one to fish for compliments.”

“You love compliments.”

He acknowledged that only with a quick smile before turning back to the road.

“How could she not be threatened by you?” Sara said after a moment. “You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re hot -”

“Hot?” he interrupted, grinning now.

“Shut up, I know you know about Behrend’s visit.”

“Nora is the weakest of your weak links, and Ray’s even weaker,” Leonard said. “But Harry is all of those things, plus rich. Why me?”

“You were single, and we were close.” Sara pulled at the zipper on her sweatshirt. “Charlie said you and I were...kindred spirits. And Charlie’s been right about the other couples. Ava knew that, and she asked if we ever had a thing, and I said no, then she asked if I ever wanted to be.”

Leonard was quiet, and this was one of the rare moments she wasn’t grateful for his silence.

She took a breath and kept going. “I said I did when we met, but you weren't interested, and nothing ever happened, so she shouldn’t worry. But I guess she did. She hated that I worked with you, and that you gave me the space to teach self-defense because she never wanted me working there in the first place, and then when she found out about our Wednesdays, she blew a gasket, so…” she trailed off, and the conversation seemed to end, as Leonard never spoke.

They were just a few miles from the hotel when he broke the silence.

“What made you think I wasn’t interested?”

Sara tried to laugh it off, but the rise in her heart rate wasn’t due to another episode. “You never said anything or made a move.”

“Neither did you.”

“Yes, I did!” she scoffed

“When?”

“I asked you out for drinks. I dressed up. I asked you to dance, and you said -”

“I’d rather watch,” he reminisced.

Sara recalled that moment with perfect clarity, figuring it had been his way of letting her down gently, that all they’d ever be was friends, and she’d made herself be okay with it because his friendship was better than nothing.

Leonard let out a bitter sound. “I didn’t realize…I’d asked Lisa if it was a date.”

Sara stared at him for a second, and let out another laugh. “She asked me if it was a date, and I told her no, but that was just because I was breaking the rule about not dating your friends’ siblings.”

“‘Cause Cisco has obviously been following that rule.”

“You saying you and Cisco are friends?”

“I wouldn't go that far.”

Sara held her breath, wondering if she should press the issue and went for it anyway. “So you were interested?”

“I was. Am.”

The tension in the car seemed to ratchet up even further, and though Sara was looking at him as if she could see into his skull, Leonard kept his eyes on the road, signaling their turn into a small hotel.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked quietly.

He sighed, resting his elbow on the door. “You’re Lisa’s friend. Roommate. I didn’t want to complicate that. After the non-date, I figured it was better to be friends than nothing. Then you met Ava. After you two split, I didn’t want to be the rebound.”

“It’s been five months,” Sara said.

They pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, and Leonard parked the car but didn’t turn it off. “And we’re at her wedding, Lance.”

“I don’t love her. I haven’t in a while.”

“I know,” he said, glancing at her quickly. “But I’ve waited this long. I can wait another couple of days.”

“You still want…” Sara trailed off. Hinting at a crush was one thing, suggesting that he had plans to make it a reality was another.

Leonard’s smile was unhurried, building up before he even looked at her. “I want.”

The jolt that went through Sara left her breathless for a moment, and she seemed unable to look away. Leonard finally blinked and the spell between them was broken. “We should check-in,” he said, opening the door and getting out.

Flustered, Sara grabbed her bags and followed Leonard to the entrance of the hotel.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot more talking and vulnerable honesty!!
> 
> And a little somethin' somethin'
> 
> ;)

Sara hung up her dress in the small closet, then washed up quickly in her small bathroom. From the open door between hers and the next room, she could hear Leonard moving around. They’d been able to get adjoining rooms, despite the late notice and Ava’s wedding having blocked out a lot of the nearby hotels. Sara suspected it was due to Ray’s influence, as he had booked the rooms for them. And owned the hotel chain.

The wedding wasn’t until tomorrow afternoon, so they had the rest of the evening and tomorrow morning to get through. Originally, she thought they’d just hang at the hotel because she wasn’t certain she was going to be able to keep her mind off of the wedding, but now, Ava was the furthest thing from her mind.

Leonard Snart was interested in her. Who had completely messed up the universe to make that happen?

She hadn’t been ashamed to admit to the others that she found Leonard hot, and it was true. But that had been a lie of omission. She didn’t just think he was hot - he was perfect. The way he always knew what to say, in that low voice. How he always looked perfectly put together, at the gym or the bar or the few nights Harry had invited them to some of his work events, in an effort to get them cultured. And below the veneer of perfection and the hint of arrogance Sara had always found attractive, there was a man who wasn’t afraid to throw hands when the situation called for it.

Sara remembered when she had filled in for Constantine a couple of weekends, just to try out bartending. When she’d been taking the trash out, some of the rowdier thugs from the bar had been back there, smoking, and tried to get her to join them. When she refused, they’d tried to insist. She’d handled herself just fine, taking down three of them without breaking a sweat, but when she’d remembered there had been a four and five, she turned around in a panic to see Leonard brushing off his hands and the other two were trying to run with a broken nose and sprained knee. She’d bought him his drinks that night, appreciating the backup.

Add to that all the other little things she liked about him - his sarcasm, that stupid smirk when he said something infuriating and/or hilarious, how gentle he was with Lisa after all they’d been through, how he donated to battered women’s shelters and tried to hide it, how he walked her home every time they were out, despite it being out of his way, without ever making her feel like an inconvenience, putting up with someone he hated, just for her sake -

At the end, Ava had refused to go and meet up with her friends, leaving Sara to choose between her and them. She sometimes chose Ava, but more often, she’d choose her friends. That was part of the reason for the breakup, and she’d felt guilty for choosing her closest friends over Ava when Ava had been the one forcing her to make a choice. Meanwhile, her friends couldn’t stand Ava and never said a word (save Mick) so she wouldn’t be put in the same position.

“So stupid,” she muttered to herself, grabbing a brush out of her bag and running it through her hair.

“What’s stupid?” Leonard asked, the door between their room ajar as he pulled a sweater on.

“Nothing. What do you feel like for dinner? My treat.”

Leonard opened the door more fully, looking as if he hadn’t spent the past seven hours in a car. “You don’t need to treat me to dinner.”

“You’re here as my fake date, I think I owe you.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eye. “You don’t owe me, Lance. I’m fine with whatever.”

She frowned, but he didn’t seem to want to talk about what was bothering him, so she let it go. “There’s a burger place next door.”

“Sounds good.”

Sara grabbed her keycard and her wallet, and the two of them rode the elevator down to the lobby, walking through the parking lot to the diner next door. The air was cool enough that she regretted not grabbing her jacket, but she just crossed her arms and continued on.

The diner was busy but efficient, so they didn’t have to wait long for a table. The hostess put down the menus and Leonard pulled out a chair, gestured for Sara to take it. She did, only realizing after she sat down that he’d given her the one that faced the door. She didn’t remember ever actually telling him that she preferred that seat. He just noticed and knew.

Ordering and taking stock of the place took up the first few minutes, but soon they were left in silence. Sara played with the straw of her milkshake, while Leonard draped his arm over the back of the booth, his gaze wandering over the diner without looking at anything in particular.

Sara watched him, willing him to look at her. It was a few minutes before he sighed and turned his eyes to her, making it apparent he’d known what she was doing.

“What, Lance?”

“Why do you call me Lance?” Sara asked. It wasn’t the question she’d meant to ask, but it would at least get them talking.

That seemed to catch him off guard because he frowned slightly. “It’s your name.”

“You call everyone else by their first name. And you call me Sara when I have an episode. But you call me Lance every other time. Why?”

He let out a long sigh, but she knew he wouldn’t lie. He didn’t lie to her, just as she didn’t lie to him. It was one of their deals; she didn’t apologize, he watched her back, and they didn’t lie to each other.

“Self-preservation,” he finally murmured.

Sara frowned, but the waitress came by with their food and distracted the conversation for a moment. Sara didn’t bring it back up, but they both knew she was waiting for some elaboration.

Leonard added some ketchup to the side of his fries, while Sara doused her plate. She ended up with messy, salty fingers, but fries tasted better this way. He watched her for a moment, a faint lift to the corner of his mouth, then swiped a fry through the ketchup and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully before saying. “It was an attempt to keep you at a distance. It’s obviously been unsuccessful.”

“Do you want me to stay away?” Sara asked, feeling a little hurt.

“Not now. But when you were with Ava. When I thought you were just my little sister’s friend.”

She understood a bit more, and they ate their burgers quietly. He finished first, not a drop anywhere other than on the plate, while Sara had a bit of a massacre of her side. Leonard shook his head in amusement, and Sara grinned back, well aware she was a disaster.

She took a bite, feeling a drop of sauce on the corner of her lip, but before she could put down her burger and grab a napkin, Leonard reached across the table, his thumb catching the bit of mess. She saw a momentary blip of red - ketchup - before he sucked it off his finger.

In the wake of that seemingly simple move, Sara found herself a little frozen, and beneath the familiar mask of indifference, Sara could see that Leonard himself was a little surprised by his own actions.

She finished her food, despite feeling a little too warm now, the burger sitting uncomfortably in her stomach. The waitress came back, and they both turned down dessert, so she dropped off the check. Sara grabbed it before Leonard could, dropping her card on the inexpensive total and passing it back as the waitress walked by.

Leonard watched her go, and Sara saw the line appear between his eyes again. She waited, knowing it was just a matter of time before -

“What if I wasn’t a fake date?” he asked quietly, not looking at her.

Sara stared at him, unsure. “You mean…”

“What if you and I went to the wedding as a couple,” he elaborated. “You’re clearly not opposed to dating me, and I’m definitely interested in dating you, so why not?”

“Why not?” she echoed. “Our first date can’t be to my ex’s wedding.”

“Our first meeting began with you punching Mick in the face.”

“He should have used the door, not the window!” Sara defended herself for the thousandth time. What else should she have done after seeing a massive man climb through her window in the middle of the night (she and Lisa had traded rooms the day before).

“And your first day working for me ended with me punching your ex.”

Oliver was still bitter about that, though it was more due to the fact that Sara had laughed rather than defended him. Ollie had tried to come and convince Sara to move back to Star City, but she hadn’t been interested. He’d persisted, and when Leonard stepped in, Oliver had snapped off at him. Ollie apologized, but only after Leonard had laid him out on the ground.

“Wouldn’t it be only too appropriate for our first date to be to your ex’s wedding, where one of us is bound to punch someone?” he challenged.

“Len, it’s not that I don’t want to go on a date with you -”

“Great. How’s tomorrow night?”

He was incorrigible. Sara felt herself smiling, even as she shook her head.

“Don’t you want to win the breakup?” he pressed.

She did, but - “I don’t want our first date to be about Ava. I just want it to be about me and you.”

“Lance, it was always going to be about me and you. Humiliating Ava is just a perk.”

She laughed, staring at him. “You’re serious.”

The humor faded somewhat, and Sara could see the earnest honesty in his expression. “I’ve wasted enough years not being upfront with you. Now that I know how you feel, I’d prefer not to waste any more time. Go with me as a real date. Not a fake one, or just friends. We’ll go together. Me and you.”

It was a convincing argument, and the more Sara heard from Leonard, the less she cared about Ava’s wedding, the more she just wanted to be near him. She wasn’t still hung up on Ava, and she’d been honest about being more angry than anything, but that was about hurt pride, not a broken heart.

“Sara,” Leonard said, his mouth wrapping around the syllables of her name almost indecently, “there’s no one I’d rather crash a wedding with than you.”

“Not even Mick?” she said, buying time.

“Not that I wouldn’t, but I’m betting you look much better in a dress.”

She could joke again, but who was she kidding? “Okay. It’s a date.”

The waitress came back, dropping off Sara’s card. She quickly signed it and the two of them got to their feet, freeing up the booth for someone else as they went towards the door.

Hitting the outside, Sara shivered. The temperature had dropped another fifteen degrees and it was cold. She crossed her arms and picked up the pace, Leonard in step with her. She jumped slightly when he put his arm over her shoulders, tucking her into his side. If it had been anyone else, she might have pulled away, but his sweater was soft and his body was warm, so Sara curled into him slightly.

“Is it an open bar tomorrow?” Leonard asked.

“Mhmm,” Sara said, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked.

“Good. Then tomorrow is my treat.”

She laughed and they returned to the hotel together.

* * *

Neither one of them was inclined to go to bed yet.

“How about a drink?” Leonard suggested, and Sara jumped at the idea.

The hotel bar was simple and small, but also mostly empty. There were a few occupied tables, but Sara and Leonard went to the edge of the bartop, off to the corner, where they were in easy access to the bartender without running the risk of having her interject on their conversation too often.

After the bartender dropped off Sara’s gimlet and Leonard’s old fashioned, she went back to the other end of the bar, with some men in business suits who were guaranteed to tip well. It left them in relative privacy, and they turned towards one another.

“No darts,” Leonard noted.

They didn’t go to the Legends bar on Wednesdays, but a terrible dive bar right by the gym. The kind of bar where you never ordered food because you were guaranteed to get salmonella, but the drinks were good and cheap, the darts and pool table were free, and there was always the promise of a fight lurking on the edge of every night.

Sara pulled over one of the complimentary bowls of nuts the bartender dropped off for them. Leonard eyed it with distaste, but it didn’t deter her from tossing a couple in her mouth.

“Where were we?” Sara asked.

Leonard looked at her for a moment, as if to gauge her sincerity, then said, “Left leg, below the knee.”

Sara looked down at that part of her leg, seeing through the cotton of her leggings to the skin and scars beneath. There was a cluster by her knee, a long line down the outside of her calf, and a ragged mark on her shin. She grinned.

“Shrapnel, knife, or children’s rocking horse.”

Leonard didn’t hesitate. “Rocking horse, obviously.”

“We were told to clear out a section of the housing, and Nyssa was leading us in. We found this young family and were getting them out of there, but some of the terrorists had seen us and were making their way up…”

She spent the next twenty minutes recounting how her commanding officer, Nyssa, and their team had evaded the terrorist group, all while protecting these kids. It was the first time Sara had ever had to change a diaper, and she preferred being shot at. They’d had to run back through the apartments, and Sara had tripped and landed on an overturned rocking horse toy, totally impaling her leg on it.

It was one of their Wednesday night traditions, for Sara to share some of her scars with him, telling him the stories she didn’t really mind, and sometimes ones she did. Leonard occasionally shared some in return, but he always offered them up, Sara never asked.

Leonard was chuckling at the end of it, and Sara was smiling, remembering how her whole company had teased her for being the only one to have a cavalry induced injury and called her the Lone Ranger for weeks. They’d been given another drink in the time it had taken Sara to tell her story, and she was feeling comfortably warm. She was leaning a little closer to him, her leg pressing against his as he turned towards her.

Her laughter faded as she reached the end of the story, and they grew quiet again.

“The other two?” Leonard asked.

“Less fun. I’d rather not ruin a good night,” she said.

He nodded and didn’t press further. “So then, about tomorrow. What if Ava asks how or when we got together?”

“Telling her last night probably won’t fly, right?” Sara said, shaking her head when the bartender offered her a refill. She took a water instead.

“Not if you want to make an impact.”

“What’s your thought then?” Sara asked. “You whisked me away on a romantic weekend? Saved me from a car accident?”

He smiled. “Simpler is better. We went out for our usual Wednesday night drink, I walked you home, and kissed you at the door.”

Sara thought back to every other night Leonard had walked her home, the two of them lingering outside her door, talking of everything and nothing, how sometimes she made excuses to stay a little longer or a little closer than necessary, just because she liked being near him, even if nothing ever happened. But every time, he turned and walked away with a goodbye.

“That’s our big romance story?” Sara asked, grinning.

“What’s more romantic than two friends finally acting on their unresolved feelings for one another?” Leonard asked, his voice dropping a little as he leaned in a little closer. “An everyday, normal moment that’s suddenly made impossibly tense. Familiarity replaced with the unknown. The unexpected kiss outside your door, sweet, but a little too short, since our friends were just inside the apartment.”

Had his voice gotten a whole octave lower? Was that possible?

“The obligatory couple of days dancing around the conversation as to whether or not we’re really together before we finally admit it. Our friends are excited, and we continue, life as normal, since it was so natural for us to be together to begin with.” He smiled a little. “I’m pretty sure Lisa made me watch this exact movie at least twice.”

“Sounds like you’ve thought about this before,” she said, clearing her throat.

Leonard swirled what was left of his drink around once, avoiding her eye as he answered the implied question. “Only every Wednesday.”

Sara’s breath caught a little and she glanced at her drink. It wasn’t that the tension was uncomfortable, just...a lot. She smiled, tossing out a joke to lighten the mood. "Well, with that much planning, I’m sure it’d be a hell of a kiss. And it would definitely be a Blockbuster hit, with two best friends who unexpectedly fall in lo-"

She stopped herself as Leonard looked at her. His mouth curled up and Sara could feel her cheeks turning red.

“So,” he started slowly, and Sara’s heart pounded a little harder against her ribs, “I’m your best friend?”

It wasn’t what she thought he was going to say, and the release of tension was like a string being cut.

“Shut up,” was her eloquent response.

He chuckled and the bartender came over. “Can I get you two another drink? We’re about to close down for the night.”

They both declined, and Leonard threw some cash on the bar before Sara could protest, saying, “You got dinner, I can get drinks.”

They walked back up to their rooms, the elevator ride silent. Keeping close, Sara knocked into his shoulder a few times as they approached her door, feeling like she did every Wednesday night - like she’d had a wonderful time, even though it was just drinks and conversation. She never wanted Wednesdays to end. Leonard smiled faintly to himself, looking down at her.

“This is me,” she said, stopping at one of the doors.

Leonard stopped with her, a safer distance away. “You running in the morning?”

“Yeah, I brought my shoes.” Caitlin said that working off some of her adrenaline would help with her episodes, and considering she’d already had one today, she didn’t want to risk another one tomorrow. They tended to come in bursts together, then faded for a while. Since she had one, it was likely she’d have another, she just didn’t know when. “I can pick up coffee on my way back.”

“That’d be nice.” They both knew he didn’t run for fun. Leonard was goal-oriented, running for the sake of running made no sense to him. “Any other plans for tomorrow?”

Sara shook her head. “No. The ceremony starts at five, so we’re free until then.”

He nodded, something at work behind his eyes. She didn’t press him, knowing he’d share it with her eventually.

“I’ll see you in the morning, then,” she said, looking at him.

“Mhmm.”

She felt like they were on the very edge of something, and as tempted as she was to jump, she didn’t want to do so alone. Quietly, and much softer than she meant, she said, “Goodnight.” She turned away, ready to put her keycard into the slot.

Leonard’s hand wrapped around her arm, tugging her back towards him, and she must have been expecting it, because though her breath caught, it was due to anticipation rather than shock. There was no time for any other thought because his arm wrapped around her waist to hold her against him as he ducked down to kiss her.

It was quick, rushed, years of mutual attraction exploding into something neither one of them could control. She felt his breathing hitch, despite being the instigator, and was thrilled it seemed to be affecting him as much as her. She slid her arms up from where they were trapped between them to twine around his neck and Leonard managed to pull her even closer, deepening the kiss as the angle shifted slightly.

Sara tasted notes of bourbon and the tang of orange peel, the subtle burn and smoke so unexpected. His hand had left its hold on her arm to dive into her hair and Sara leaned as far into him as she could.

Leonard broke the kiss first, but didn’t stay away. Another two, smaller kisses followed immediately, though it was unclear who had been the one to lean in again; neither one of them wanted it to end.

Finally, Leonard pulled back a little, his forehead brushing against hers as he murmured, “Better than I thought.”

“Yeah?” Sara whispered.

“Yeah.” He kissed her once more, all too short, before stepping back, away from her. “Goodnight, Sara.”

“Goodnight, Len,” she said, still quiet.

She watched him go to the door next to hers, inserting his key card and disappearing into it with a wink. Sara let out a long, slow breath, and went into her own room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a moment, then touched her lips, which still tingled. No kiss in her entire life had ever felt like that, and she had no idea how she was supposed to sleep now. She wanted to go into his room and kiss him again and again for the rest of her life and -

Sara dropped her hand from her mouth, her eyes wide. “Holy crap.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slightly shorter one. More feels and some angst, but only a bit.
> 
> And those two beds aren't such a problem...

Sara stared at the door between her room and Leonard’s as she brushed her teeth, the simple door an obsessive focus.

She could just go through there and…

And…

God, she had no idea. Well, she had some idea. A few ideas, to be honest, some less PG than others. But she could be patient. He’d been patient for the year and a half she’d been with Ava. She could handle a few days until they got home. Probably.

Sara took one step away from the door, then paused. Going back, she slowly and, as quietly as possible, unlocked it.

Just in case.

After she ran through her yoga moves, Sara rinsed off and got into bed, somewhat relieved she wouldn’t have to worry about entertaining anyone this evening, as her tank top was ratty and her underwear the most basic of basic. 

She went to sleep, assuming that the wedding would be the biggest obstacle left this weekend. Then the nightmare came.

_ Fire. The car was on fire. Carrie, the girl who’d been driving, was slumped in the seat, unmoving, blood trickling down her face. Sara tried to move, but as she did, pain burst through her stomach and she looked down, seeing three pieces of shrapnel lodged in her abdomen, cutting partway through her seatbelt. She tried to call out to Nyssa in the front seat, but the smoke choked her. Carrie was dead. Nyssa was either dead or unconscious. The one next to her - Sara looked over and saw Nora, her eyes open and unseeing, blood pooling in her lap. _

_ Sara was dying. She could feel it in the way her heart beat, too quickly, too lightly, too uselessly. She was alone and she was dying. She tried to move again, the pieces in her stomach were caught and she had to - she had to - _

_ She reached down and pulled one out, the waistband of her fatigues soaked in red. She pulled out the second one, another gush of warm fluid covering her fatigues - her jeans - and she pulled at the seatbelt, trying to get it far enough away that she could - _

_ Carrie’s face shifted, becoming Caitlin’s, and it wasn’t a Humvee, it was Ava’s car. It was both. It was night and day, desert and Central City, and Sara had to get out. _

_ She pulled free of the seatbelt, flames licking up her leg, and grabbed the handle, throwing her shoulder against it, but it wouldn’t budge, and she tried to call out to someone - Caitlin, Nyssa, Nora, Carrie - anyone - _

Sara woke, half tangled in the sheets. She pulled them half off her bed as she ran to the bathroom, barely making it before she vomited in the toilet. Her stomach ached and the heaving didn’t help. She kept her hand pressed to it, trying to keep the blood from flowing, even though she knew there was no blood, not really, not anymore.

Blindly, she reached up to the counter, scrambling for the pill bottle that helped, but she knocked them into the sink and sobbed, unable to look away from the toilet as she threw up again, though it was nothing but bile now.

She continued to shake, fingers clutching the porcelain as she looked for something to ground her that wasn’t cold or hard or silent, and her shoulders hunched in as she tried to ride it out alone, hoping that it would stop.

“Lance?”

She wasn’t certain she heard it and didn’t answer, still retching. The bathroom door hadn’t closed all the way in her mad rush and she heard the creak as it opened again, Leonard in the doorway.

He seemed to figure out what happened and knelt next to her. “You’re safe, Sara. We’re in the hotel. It’s a little after two. You’re okay.” He sounded so calm, so unbothered by this - her.

Managing to nod, she felt his hand on her arm. He felt warm, and logically, she knew it would make her feel better, but she couldn’t stand to be touched now. She was too cold. The warmth hurt. She pulled away and Leonard backed off immediately. Instead of letting her feel his heartbeat, he started counting, "One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four." Sara immediately internalized the beat, breathing in for four counts and out for four. Leonard slowed the count down more, and her breathing got slower and deeper.

Slowly, Sara was able to calm down. When she was breathing normally and nodded, he straightened up enough to fill up a glass of water and fished her pill bottle out of the sink, taking out one for her. She took the water first, rinsing her mouth out two or three times, spitting it into the mess in the toilet and flushing before she took the pill from him and swallowed that down.

Leonard stepped out in silence while she rinsed her face and, when that didn’t warm her up enough, took a scalding shower.

Once the water returned her to somewhat normal, she remained under the spray, her stomach sinking at what she’d done.

Steeling herself, she toweled off and stepped out of the shower, seeing that Leonard had managed to sneak in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that looked like it would fit him. Relieved she wouldn’t have to wear the sweat-stained clothes she’d started the night in, Sara pulled them on, the t-shirt almost making the shorts unnecessary. She went to the bathroom door and hesitated, then decided to bite the bullet and just get this over with.

Leonard had just finished putting her bed back into order as she came out. The lights were still out, but the glow from the bathroom was enough to see by. He was in a pair of sweatpants and a dark t-shirt. He tossed the last pillow back into place and then turned. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Sara tugged at the shirt. “This yours?”

“Yeah. Figured you appreciate something a little warmer.”

“Thanks. I’ll make sure I get it back to you.”

He nodded and Sara shifted awkwardly.

“I’m sorry if I woke you,” she said, not looking at his face. A few hours ago, they were kissing and a few minutes ago she couldn’t stand to have him touch her, and now…

Leonard smiled. “I’ve been going years on just a few hours of sleep, Lance. Not a problem.” At least he didn’t lie and said she didn’t.  “You want to talk about it?” he asked, taking a seat on the side of her bed like he had no problem being woken at two AM and staying awake.

Sara shrugged, crossing her arms. “Same shit, different day. You’d think I’d be over it by now.” She forced a laugh.

“I don’t think that,” Leonard said simply.

Sara stared at him, waiting for the other shoe. The caveats. The joke that wasn’t really a joke about maybe one night getting a full night’s sleep. The reminder it had been years. It didn’t come.

Leonard didn’t say anything else, waiting for her move. She was still shaky, so she walked over to her bed and sat on the same side as Leonard, but leaving a healthy gap between them.

She put her head in her hands and let out a long, slow sigh. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling the tears pressing against her eyes. They weren’t from the dream, not totally, just from everything all together.

“We had a deal, Lance,” he reminded her. Leonard put his hand on her shoulder, not tentatively, not hesitantly, just a simple movement. He stayed still though, not moving until she didn’t flinch away. When she didn’t pull away, he put his hand at the top of her back, his thumb rubbing circles against her neck.

“I meant about earlier. Pulling away. I’m sorry.”

“I get it.”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want you there, I just -”

“Lance. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” she argued, turning to look at him. “I made you feel like I didn’t want you there, and that’s not right.”

“First off, that isn’t what I felt. Secondly, I know that wasn’t about me. It’s about you.”

“I know,” she said, looking at the floor. “It’s my problem -”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. He let out a slow sigh and pulled his hand away. Sara felt the loss of that warmth like a physical blow. She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for him to leave.

“Bottle, bat, car door, or cigarette?” he asked flatly.

That shocked Sara enough to look at him. “What?”

His expression was neutral, save the small line between his eyes and the tension in his hand. “Left leg, below the knee. That’s where we were, right?”

Sara’s breath caught, knowing enough about Leonard’s other scars to know who had dealt them. Her hands curled into fists, unsure how she could hate a man she’d never met so much, but sure that she hated him. He was in prison now, but Sara hoped that he died there. Leonard had told her some stories, but she never pressed, and he only rarely shared the truly terrible ones. She'd heard a couple on Lewis's birthday, and the anniversary of the day he went to prison. A few more interspersed throughout the years.

“Len, you don’t have to -”

“Remember when John first showed up?” he interrupted quietly. “He used to smoke before Caitlin tore into him.”

Sara vaguely recalled that, more so the nicotine cravings afterward that made Constantine almost unbearable.

“I couldn’t sit near him at the bar,” Leonard said. “If he got too close, I’d make some excuse. Get another round, whatever. Every night we drank with him, I had to go home and take a shower to get rid of the smell, but it didn’t help all the time. Still nightmares.” He managed a small, bitter smile. “I’m older than you. And it happened a lot longer ago, but I still smell that smoke. I still feel the scars.”

Sara stared at the space between them.

“You don’t get over it, Lance. I’d never expect you to.”

“I can’t expect you to help me with this for the rest of my life. That’s putting too much on you.”

“You aren’t asking. I’m offering.”

Sara shook her head, but Leonard didn’t leave. Didn’t try to qualify it. He was just here. For the rest of her life.

“You think you can sleep?” he asked after a moment.

She shrugged, apathetic. “Maybe.” She was very tired, but she didn’t want him to leave.

“Good.” He didn’t stand up, but moved over to the side of the bed and started getting into her bed.

“What are you…”

“Going to sleep. Gonna join me or just stand there?”

Still not entirely sure, Sara laid down next to him, turning to face him. Leonard pulled up the sheet, covering both of them as he got on his side. Sara stared at him in the darkness, the uncertainty making her heart thump against her chest and she swallowed, unsure if this was going to bring about another episode.

Leonard reached out and took her hand, bringing it up to his chest. Beneath the thin cotton of his t-shirt, she could feel the reassuring beat of his heart. His fingers curled around hers, holding her hand and keeping it close. Sara scooted in a little nearer, close enough that they were sharing a pillow. Leonard ducked his head down, just enough to press his forehead against hers.

Sara let out a slow breath, comfort and exhaustion mingling with the fading adrenaline. She focused on nothing but his heartbeat for a few minutes, soothing herself.

“This is nice,” she breathed in surprise after a while, sleep not quite around her.

She should have known better than to assume he wouldn’t pick up on it. “Ava didn’t?”

“She had to go to work early,” Sara said, the reasoning making so much sense then sounding so thin now. “If I had an episode, I just slept on the couch. She said she was too busy, that her job was too important for her to...to put up with me.” It wasn't the exact words Ava had used, but it was the truth. 

He drew in a breath, but let it out slowly. He moved a little nearer, his knee brushing against hers.

“Lance,” he said softly. “Ava didn’t understand, and though that’s not her fault, it doesn’t make what she said and did right.”

Sara nodded, another, much smaller wave of tears pressing at her eyes. Ava had tried at first, but it was so much to ask. It was no wonder that Ava got frustrated, and Sara understood that, but Ava started taking it out on her, implying that it was something wrong with Sara. After that, even when Ava said supportive things, Sara didn’t believe her.

She kept waiting for Leonard to get tired of this, but he was still here. Still here after years of just being a friend, with no expectations, just to make sure she was okay.

“Thank you for being here,” she said quietly.

She felt a small pressure against her hair and his words were muffled. “Lance, don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m always here to help you.”

“It's a shitty job,” Sara warned him, tears sticking on her eyelashes.

His hand tightened around hers, pressing it closer into his chest. “No, it's not. Not to me. Not if it’s you.”


	5. Chapter 5

Sara still woke up relatively early, despite the night before. She felt rested, but opened her eyes reluctantly all the same.

It was just after seven AM. They hadn’t shifted much during the night. Both of her hands had crept up to hold onto Leonard’s shirt, and he had his arm tucked beneath his head. Sara took the advantage to look at him.

When he was awake, he was always moving. Only a little, and very deliberately, but his hands constantly fidgeted. Usually, when he got very still, it was a bad thing. It meant he was angry. Livid. She’d seen that the night Lisa came back to the apartment with a black eye from her dumbass ex-boyfriend. Sara had called Leonard, who she still barely knew, and he’d walked in and got so still she thought he was a statue.

After making sure Lisa was okay, he left, and though Sara didn’t ask any questions, she knew that Lisa’s ex never came near her again.

This, though, wasn’t that waiting to strike kind of stillness. It was calm. Peaceful, even. He looked younger in repose than he did awake. All the lines on his face were gone and the shadows beneath his eyes weren’t as obvious. His mouth was parted as he breathed quietly and Sara resisted the temptation to kiss him, not wanting to wake him.

It was almost naive, this honeymoon feeling after a single kiss, but it felt like more. She knew Leonard. They were close friends. He knew her better than she knew herself, and he’d given her so much without any expectations. Despite the teasing, he really was her best friend. She’d told him things she hadn’t told anyone else, and they never changed his perception of her. She trusted him implicitly, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to help her episodes. It was like he’d always been her favorite book, but now she was discovering she’d only ever had the abridged version.

Slowly and silently, Sara pulled away and got up, being extra cautious so as not to wake him. She got dressed in her workout clothes, carrying her shoes, keycard, and phone to the door and putting them on in the hallway.

She didn’t listen to music while she ran. It was more meditative than that. She took a path she’d found last night before bed, running through one of the city parks and down a small shopping area before turning back towards the hotel. By the end, she’d run about six miles and felt much more clearheaded.

Her route back had been carefully mapped so she could stop in a coffee shop. She picked up Leonard’s large coffee with sugar, one cream, and a shot of hazelnut syrup, and her own, a large black coffee with twice as much sugar and no cream. On a whim, she grabbed some of the seasonal coffeecakes he liked and started back to the hotel with a drink carrier.

She’d just entered the lobby when she heard, “Sara?!”

Turning, Sara just barely managed to save the coffee as a small brunette rushed up to hug her. The girl pulled away almost immediately, grimacing, and Sara smiled, having been in the position before.

“Sorry, Mona,” she said. “I just finished a run.”

Mona was one of Ava’s coworkers and one of the few people Sara had been introduced to that she liked. Mona’s boyfriend Gary was a whole other matter and Sara quickly scanned the lobby to make sure he wasn’t around.

“I’m so happy to see you!” Mona said, grinning up, completely guileless.

“It’s good to see you, too,” Sara answered honestly. “How have you been?”

“Oh, busy,” Mona said, looking around. “I’m the maid of honor, so I’ve been helping Ava plan everything for her and Jessie and it’s just been crazy.”

“I’m sure it’ll be wonderful,” Sara assured her. Mona had this amazing ability to turn everything into a disaster before saving the day last minute, every time.

“I hope so,” Mona laughed. Her gaze caught the coffee. “Are you...did you bring someone?”

“Yeah,” Sara said. “Ava said I could bring a plus one.”

“A friend?” Mona pressed, obvious as usual.

“A date.”

“Is it serious?”

“Yeah,” Sara answered, without even thinking about it. “It is.”

“Wow,” Mona said, prolonging the “o.” “I just…” she sighed. “I wish you and Ava had worked out. Jessie’s nice and all, but…”

Sara expected comments like that might bring a pang to her chest, but it didn’t happen. All of her thoughts were fixated on the room upstairs. “I’m sure Ava’s happier with Jessie.”

“Maybe,” Mona sighed again. “But I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. You should come by the bar sometime.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” When it appeared Mona might expound on that for a while, Sara quickly cut her off. “I should get upstairs. If Len doesn’t get his coffee before nine, he -”

“Len?” Mona repeated, eyes wide. “Leonard Snart is your boyfriend?”

That didn’t seem the right word for him, but Sara nodded nonetheless. “Uh, yeah.”

“Wow.  _ Wow _ . Seriously?” When Sara nodded again, Mona just said, “Wow.”

A little uncomfortable now, Sara said, “I’ll see you later.”

Mona didn’t respond and Sara took the opportunity to move past her and to the elevator. She pressed the button to her floor a few times, making sure the doors closed too quickly for Mona to try and follow.

She got back to her room and balanced the coffee as she unlocked the door, sliding in as quietly as she should, unsure if -

“Hey.”

Leonard came out of his room, showered, but casually dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt. He wasn’t wearing socks and for some reason that made it seem much more intimate. “How was your run?”

“Good. How’d you sleep?” she asked, tugging the coffee out of the holder and passing it over to him.

“Excellently. You?” His fingers brushed hers as he took the cup.

“Pretty well, actually,” she admitted.

“Good.” He took a sip of the coffee and let out a contented sigh. "Thanks."

"They had your coffee cake, too," Sara said, handing the bag over.

"You spoil me."

Sara nearly laughed at the idea. He had spent part of his night taking care of her, it was the literal least she could do. "Any plans for this morning?"

“Did you know it’s Shark Week?”

Sara laughed, well aware of Leonard’s obsession with the program. “Find it and I’ll take a shower.”

She took a shower, not bothering to put on her dress yet, opting for a pair of leggings and a baggy tank if they were just going to sit around. Both rooms had a small sitting area, with an L-shaped couch and decent tv in the corner. When she came out of the shower, Leonard had draped himself across the longer part of the couch, and she saw the Discovery Channel logo in the corner of the screen. Sara grabbed a book from her bag before she joined him, taking the silent invitation to slide beneath his arm and lean against his side.

She watched for a while, then turned to her book. With four roommates in one place, they tended to have pretty busy schedules, always being invited to each other’s events and plans. The quiet was something Sara didn’t experience often, and she was taking advantage of it.

After five episodes and with both of their coffees gone, Leonard declared it was time for a late breakfast. “Room service?”

“Pancakes?”

“Obviously.”

He moved to the phone and ordered a few things for them while Sara stretched slightly, feeling the burn from her run nicely up her calves and thighs.

“I ran into Mona downstairs,” she said once Leonard hung up the phone. Shark Week was on mute for the moment, and there weren’t any sharks on the screen currently, so she figured it was safe to talk to him. He could be touchy about interrupting his shows or movies with chatter.

Leonard came back towards the couch, taking his seat back. “Yeah?”

“She asked if I was bringing a date, and I said yes. And then I mentioned your name and she asked if you were my boyfriend.”

Leonard replaced his arm over her shoulder, obviously waiting.

“I said you were. Is that okay?” she asked.

She could feel his smile, even if she couldn’t see it. “It sounds a little juvenile, but I think it gets the idea across.”

“What would you prefer?” She twisted enough that she could see him.

He shrugged, but Sara saw that line in his eye and knew he had a preference, even if he wouldn’t say it.

“What did Mona say?” he asked.

“Just “wow” a few times. A lot of times, actually. I know we are one, technically,” Sara said, “but do you think anyone will believe that we’re together?”

Leonard snorted, “Lance, people always think that.”

“What? Who?”

He began to tick off on his fingers, “Harry, Cisco, Ray, John, Behrend, and Charlie all thought we were dating when we met them. Even Mick thought we started dating and just didn’t tell him.”

“Seriously?”

“Don’t know if you’ve noticed, Lance, but you’re pretty much the only person I regularly spend time with outside of the group, other than Mick and Lisa.”

She began to smile, “Are you saying I’m your best friend?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m saying that we’re obviously close and people picked up on that.”

Sara turned a little further to face him. “Is that why you always sit next to me at Legends? Because I’m your best friend?”

Leonard looked down at her and Sara realized she was awfully close to him. He leaned down just a little, his voice becoming quieter, but not gentle. “I sat next to you for purely selfish reasons that had nothing to do with wanting to be  _ friends _ .”

Her breath caught, and she saw the wicked gleam of amusement in his eye. As much as she knew Leonard and as much time as she’d spent with him, this part was new and she was enjoying it. But, he’d been leading the charge on this. It was time to even things out a little.

“Come on, Len,” she said, her tone lowering like his. “Do you think I really ever needed to be that close to you? There was always plenty of room next to me.”

“Is that so?” he asked, the tv forgotten.

"Yup." Sara glanced at his mouth, the memory of the kisses last night making her heart skip a beat.

"Why would you do something like that?" Leonard started to lean over towards her, encouraging her to lie back as he began to crawl over her.

Sara took in a shaky breath as her back hit the couch, Leonard hovering over her, his knee between her legs. "I'm a glutton for punishment."

Leonard dipped his head down towards her neck. "Was it a punishment?" He pressed a kiss against her shoulder, waiting for her answer.

"Sometimes. Wanting something I couldn't have." She closed her eyes as his lips migrated north, brushing against her neck, her jaw, her cheek.

"Still want?" he asked, hovering above her lips. 

Sara smiled a little and leaned up enough to kiss him. She could taste the bitter bite of his coffee but pulled back before she could determine anything else. "I want," she said, repeating his own words back at him.

Leonard was moving before the words had left her mouth, kissing her with far less restraint than he had last night. He had one arm up by her head, propping himself up so she could breathe, but they were pressed together from hip to chest, their legs in a tangle. Sara was determined not to let him completely take the lead this time, and worked her hands down between them, edging beneath his shirt. He let out a breath that shook slightly, pulling far enough away to whisper.  _ “Sara.” _

She kissed him again and he pressed her harder into the couch, his free hand skimming the waistband of her pants. Sara’s fingers caught on the edges of scars she’d only heard about, and though she catalogued them, they didn’t give her any pause. Their kisses grew a little less controlled, teeth scraping against lips and missing as often as they landed. Sara hissed a little when Leonard nibbled at a wildly sensitive spot along her jaw, arching into him. He flattened his palm against her abdomen, his fingers sliding beneath her tank and brushing against the scars on her stomach.

Usually, she encouraged her lovers to stay away from that. It wasn’t that she was ashamed, because she wasn’t. But they were unsightly and usually killed the mood. They didn’t hurt, but they were raised and ragged. So Sara typically distracted her lovers away from there. She didn’t this time.

Leonard mapped out the scars, one at a time, as his tongue charted the dips and structure of her neck. To him, they were just another part of her. Not a bad thing, not a good thing, just another part of her. She knew that because that’s exactly how she felt about his.

Certain now, in a way that she hadn’t been in a long time, Sara continued to push up Leonard’s shirt, until he was forced to pull away in order for her to take it off entirely. She kept her hand on his chest, keeping him from immediately returning for just a moment, so she could get one good look at him.

She took it all in quickly - the lean muscle, the paler lines of scars, the faint dusting of hair along his chest - and let her gaze go back to his face. “Beautiful,” she said.

He laughed quietly, but on his face was a shy smile she’d never seen before. He returned to her embrace, shifting to prop himself up on his elbow so he could run his fingers through her hair. Sara had one arm around his neck while the other began to learn the curvature of his back.

Leonard’s other hand turned and began to move down again, slipping beneath the edge of her pants. She could feel him hesitating at the edge of her underwear and he pulled back enough to ask, “Are you sure? We can -”

“Yes, I’m sure,” she interrupted him, greedy with anticipation and not caring if he knew. She kissed him before he could ask any more ridiculous questions, her hips canting up towards him. His fingers slid a little lower, just centimeters from where she needed him -

There was a knock on the door.

Leonard pulled away from her, the most murderous expression on his face. It promised terrible things to whoever had interrupted them and shouldn’t have been as attractive as Sara found it. He looked down at her, apparently intent on ignoring the interruption and returning to what he’d been able to do when the knock came again.

“Room service.”

They disentangled themselves from one another and Leonard tugged on his shirt as Sara went to the door and opened it. The poor attendant outside quailed a little under Leonard’s glare as he entered and put the plates down on the low table in front of the couch. Sara gave him a decent tip as he left to make up for it.

“Hungry?” Sara asked as she shut the door behind the attendant.

“Starving.” He wasn’t looking at the food.

Sara shivered delightfully under his gaze, unable to keep from smiling.

Leonard stared at her for another moment and then let out a long, slow breath. “I suppose we should eat while it’s warm.”

Sara took a seat on the couch, a little further away than before. Just in case. “Do you have your meeting today?”

Every Friday, Leonard had a teleconference with his investors. They were talking about opening another gym, and things were starting to move forward in that regard, making the meetings even more necessary.

“Yeah,” he said, looking at his phone. “In about a half-hour. It’ll probably be a long one. We can just plan to get ready and meet at 4:30.”

“Okay.”

“We can walk, you can drive, or I can call a car,” he said.

“Let’s walk. It’s close. We can always call an Uber to get back,” she said, casually. It was a short drive, so she should be okay with a new driver.

Leonard watched her for a moment, then nodded. “Okay.”

They polished off the breakfast with Shark Week playing in the background until Leonard sighed and looked at his phone. “I should go.”

He walked to their adjoining doors and turned back to her. He leaned down as if to kiss her, then hesitated, pulling back.

“What?” Sara asked.

“I don’t want to start something we can’t finish right now.”

“Not even just one kiss?”

He smiled at her slightly petulant tone. “Oh, Lance, it’s never going to be just one anything with you.”

With that, he winked and closed the door between their rooms.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wanted to post the beginning of a Halloween fic, and figured that I'd just put the rest of this up tonight! So enjoy. :D
> 
> I have one other little thing finished for after Halloween, then a bit of a break, since I'm trying to participate in NaNoWriMo this year with one of my own stories. 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who reads/liked/bookmarks/comments. It really does make my day, even if it's just indecipherable rambling. It's so nice to be part of such a supportive group of people, and you are all the best.
> 
> <3

“Alright, now that one,” Nora said, her voice coming through Sara’s phone. “No, the one to your left. The navy blue one.”

Sara picked the palette Nora recommended, applying it to her lids with a steady, if somewhat unsure, hand.

“Get a little more into the crease,” Lisa said. Sara followed their orders, the two of them far more skilled with applying makeup than Sara was. She could manage simple things, but anything more complicated than one color was going to need some direction.

“Looking good,” Nora said, once Sara had finished with that. “Now we’re going to blend it.”

Sara watched as Nora demonstrated on her own eye, using different colors, but the same technique. It was a little after four, and she’d already finished her hair. All she had to do was finish her makeup and put the dress on.

“So, how’s it going?” Lisa asked. Cisco walked by in the background and waved.

Sara waved back and addressed Lisa. “It’s fine. Ran into Mona.”

“How’s Mona?” Nora asked. She had the weirdest affinity with Mona that Sara didn’t understand, but respected.

“She’s doing well. We didn’t talk much.”

“Have you seen Ava yet?” Lisa pressed.

“Nope. She’s probably busy.” Sara leaned forward to make sure her eyeliner was even.

“How are you feeling about tonight?” Nora asked.

“Fine.”

“Seriously, Sara.”

“I am being serious,” Sara said, leaning back from the mirror to glance at her phone. “Really. I’m glad she’s getting married. But...I’m also glad it’s not to me.”

“Good for you,” Nora said, smiling.

Lisa was frowning at her. “Why the change of heart? You were upset when you found out.”

“Shock, I guess,” Sara said, using the mascara she’d borrowed from Caitlin.

“And you and Leonard have been getting along?” Lisa moved the phone closer to her.

Sara nodded. “Yup.”

“Have you kissed yet?”

Sara didn’t stop with the mascara, but she could feel her cheeks heat up and her mouth drew into a smile before she could stop it.

“Oh my god!” Lisa shrieked. “You did?! Did you make out with my brother?”

“There has to be a better way to ask that,” Sara argued, grabbing her lipstick.

“So you did?” Nora asked.

“I’m not discussing this with you,” Sara retorted. She turned the phone away from her as she took her dress off the hanger and got dressed, her back to the mirror. 

“You have to tell me,” Lisa pressed. “He’s my brother!”

“And you have $50 riding on this weekend,” Nora said.

“Lisa,” Sara said, in mock-anger. “Did you bet on me?”

“I bet that you’d get together because I have faith that Leonard was going to make a move,” Lisa defended. “He’s been in love with you for two years. It’s about damn time.”

Sara shook her head, smiling at the idea of Leonard being in love with her and sliding the dress up.

“And it’s not just me!” Lisa continued. “I think there’s about $300 in the pool as to when you’ll get together.”

“Wonderful,” Sara drawled. 

“Oh, you’re even starting to sound like him,” Nora teased.

“Shut up.” Sara grabbed her phone, ready to call them out when Nora’s eyes went wide and Lisa’s grin split her face.

“You look amazing!” Nora said. “That dress is yours now. Seriously. Just keep it.”

“Ava’s going to choke.”

Sara smiled, but that didn’t really mean all that much to her. 

“And Lenny’s going to love it,” Lisa added.

That made Sara smile more.

“I should get going,” Sara said, glancing at the time. She only had about ten minutes before she was supposed to meet Leonard, and he was notorious for being early.

“Hey, before you go,” Lisa said, dropping the vibrancy of her grin, just a bit. “You know I’m only teasing because I love you. You being with my brother would be amazing, but if you don’t like him, you’re still my best friend.”

“We just want you to be happy,” Nora said. “With or without Leonard, but definitely without Ava.”

Sara laughed, hearing the sincerity within the jokes. “I know. Thank you. I’ll talk to you later.”

Sara ended the call, putting her phone down. All she’d need would be her phone and ID, which she’d just ask Leonard to carry for her rather than bringing a purse. She’d gotten a card for Ava, with some money, as her gift, and that was it. She was ready.

Still, she hesitated, and with a small inhale to steady her, she turned to the mirror to get a good look at herself.

The blue made her hair look like gold as it curled over her shoulders in loose waves. Leonard had mentioned one night at the bar that he liked her hair down, after one too many drinks. She had simple stud earrings and no necklace. The dress hugged her in all the right places and even under the less forgiving lights of the bathroom, her scars didn’t seem as noticeable. Or maybe she just didn’t care as much today.

She smoothed the light fabric down, grateful that the wedding was mostly indoors. She stepped out of the bathroom and wavered between the door adjoining their rooms and the couch. Should she wait until 4:30 exactly? Or should she knock now just in case he was -

There was a knock on her main door. Sara frowned and went over, not expecting anyone, and opened it.

Leonard stood just outside her door, his blue suit a darker shade than her dress, which made his eyes seem all the more vibrant. The white shirt was broken up by a dark navy tie, and the whole ensemble was one that fit him better than some of the tailored suits Ray had worn on occasion. He seemed to be doing his own appraisal of her outfit and when he lifted his eyes to hers, he smiled.

“Blue is definitely your color.”

Sara grinned back at him. “I don’t know, I think it’s yours.” She turned back into the room and grabbed her phone and the card, heading back to Leonard. He was still looking at her, something warm in his expression.

“What?” she asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

“It’s been a while since you looked this happy,” he said, stepping back as she closed her room door. He took her phone without comment, tucking it into his jacket. “It’s nice to see.”

It had honestly been a while since she’d felt this happy. For so long, it had felt like she was merely going through the motions, since before she and Ava had broken up. Then after the breakup, she felt like she had to start fighting through her PTSD all over again. She’d felt so disconnected from everyone. Not anymore.

“I am happy,” she said quietly. “A lot of it’s due to you.”

Leonard smiled, tucking a curl of her hair behind her ear. “Nah, Lance. You’ve been working hard to get here. I might have helped a bit at the end, but this is all you.”

She appreciated the accomplishment, even if she didn’t totally agree. 

There was a faint buzzing and Leonard reached into his pocket, revealing that Lisa was calling him.

“Don’t answer that,” Sara warned. “There’s a bet going.”

Leonard met her eyes curiously, then smiled, silencing the phone and putting it back into his pocket. “Shall we?”

* * *

They were some of the last to arrive at the museum. It was beautifully arranged, with the seats facing the all-glass wall that led to the gardens. The archway was decorated with lilies and fairy lights, and ivy went down the two aisles that lead to the arch. It was very classic, and not at all what Sara would have chosen for her own wedding. Luckily, this wasn’t hers.

There were a few stares and whispers as Sara and Leonard entered. Sara recognized a few of them as Ava’s coworkers, including Gary Green, Mona’s boyfriend. He stared wide-eyed for a moment, before disappearing into the back. Leonard seemed completely unaffected, putting his hand on the small of Sara’s back as he guided them to the edge of one of the side rows. They were furthest away from the left aisle, with a nice exit so Sara didn’t feel trapped, but close enough to the front that it didn’t seem like they were hiding.

They settled into their seats, Leonard putting his arm over the back of her chair as he leaned in to mutter, “Hell of a setup.”

“Is this what you’d want?” Sara asked quietly, conscious of the people around them. None of their immediate neighbors seemed interested in them, which she was grateful for.

“Too much for me. If I were to get married, it’d be a much smaller thing. Outdoors, maybe. In that field behind Harry’s place.”

Sara imagined it now, the tall pines behind Harry’s house beautiful just after sunset, with all the fireflies out. “I always imagined a quick ceremony,” she said. “Just the basics.”

“John’s ordained. I’d probably ask him to do it.”

“And then we’d have a big party afterward, with our friends.”

Leonard agreed quietly, with a smile on his face. He stared at her until Sara realized what she’d said.

“I didn’t mean -”

“I did,” he interrupted gently.

“It’s only been a day,” she said, feeling slightly panicked at exactly how easy this all seemed. Him. Them.

“Doesn’t feel like it, though, does it?” Leonard murmured.

“No.” Still, the insanity of talking about a wedding after such a short period of time kept her from continuing the conversation. Luckily, music started behind them, and Leonard leaned towards her ear, slipping in one last comment.

“I’ve been all in for years already, Lance. I can wait for you to catch up.”

She twisted back to look at him, waiting for the joke or the smirk that he was teasing her, but it wasn’t there. He was serious. Searching his eyes for any hint that this wasn’t real, all Sara saw was the same constancy that had been with her through every episode, every late-night conversation, every drink, and every look he’d given her across the bar when she’d been with Ava. How had she never seen it before?

She was so focused on him that the two of them missed the procession of the maids of honor and the bridesmaids, and were a few seconds late in standing as the bridal march began. They both got up, him smoother than her, and Sara caught a glimpse of her ex for the first time since the breakup.

Ava looked beautiful. The dress was pure white satin, draping down in a small train, while her hair was up in the perfect chignon, not a hair out of place. Her makeup was flawless and she smiled at the guests, her eyes passing over Sara without noticing her. She carried a simple bunch of lilies, accented with baby’s breath. Sara watched as Ava approached the archway, where another gorgeous woman with dark skin and honey-gold eyes was waiting for her. She saw all of it and she felt -

Nothing.

Not entirely nothing. There was no anger, no resentment, no hurt pride, no sadness. She felt a vague sense of happiness for Ava, never able to truly hate anyone who she’d loved, no matter what they’d done to her in return. As they took their seats again, Sara identified another faint feeling - relief.

Relief that she wasn’t up there with Ava, but back in the crowd with Leonard. She’d trade all this finery for Shark Week and pancakes any day.

Sitting back against him, Sara whispered, “Thank you.”

He merely kissed her bare shoulder in response.

Sara tried to focus on the ceremony, but Leonard’s free hand landed on her knee, tracing aimless patterns on her skin, and she only caught bits and pieces of the words.

“- to have and to hold -”

“- for better or for worse -”

“In sickness or in health -”

Then the two of them were exchanging rings and kissing and Sara was applauding with the rest of them, as Ava and Jessie left, hand in hand to the back of the room.

“You good?” Leonard whispered as everyone started to rise.

Sara smiled at him. “I’m good.”

Leonard took her hand and they followed the crowd out to the reception.


	7. Chapter 7

They picked up their placards just before the doors to the reception.

_ Ms. Sara Lance and Date _ was written in lovely calligraphy that would have driven Sara insane. She glanced at the number on the back and they entered the reception hall.

It was another beautiful and immaculate setup. The tables were covered in white linen, with tall white lilies in the centerpieces, bursts of baby’s breath exploding below. White curtains covered the windows, with more fairy lights streaming down. She and Leonard must have missed the memo on the dress code because many of the others were dressed in blacks and pale colors, while two of them stood out in their bold blues.

According to the timetable on the program, Ava, Jessie, and the bridal party would be taking some photos, so the guests were free to find their places and grab drinks. Deciding to find their table, Sara wasn’t entirely surprised to find that their table was at the back, with all eight spots open.

She caught Leonard’s eye and he raised his brows as she took her seat, with her back against the wall so she could see who was coming over.

“Apparently we’re at the outcast’s table,” Leonard murmured, still standing.

“I wonder who’ll be joining us.”

“As long as it’s not -” Leonard cut himself off with a faint groan, and Sara looked up to see Gary Green heading in their direction.

Gary was visibly sweating as he got closer to them. “Hi, Sara. It’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Gary, how’s it going?” she said, smiling at him. Gary could be a lot, but he had a good heart, even if it was sometimes a little too big. “You remember Leonard, right?

Gary ignored her and looked at Leonard, eyes wide. “H-hey, Leonard.”

Leonard nodded with a tight smile. “Hey, Gary.”

“How have you been?” he asked, taking a step nearer.

“Good. You?” Leonard, coward that he was, edged a little bit more behind Sara’s chair as if it were a boundary Gary wouldn’t cross.

“I’m so good.”

Sara put her chin in her hand, looking back at Leonard with a poorly concealed grin. Gary’s crush on Leonard was painfully obvious to everyone, and though Leonard had very kindly turned him down, Gary was still a little more persistent than Leonard would have preferred.

Leonard cut his eyes at her. “Drink?”

“Please,” she said, taking mercy on him.

He nodded, leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek, which was obviously just a ruse so he could whisper, “You’re supposed to be on my side, Lance.”

Sara just grinned up at him as he left, with a short nod at Gary.

Gary watched Leonard go for a while and, to be honest, so did Sara. He looked very good in a suit, and she didn’t get to see him in one nearly as often as she’d like. Once he was lost in the crowd, Gary shook his head and turned to Sara.

“So, you and Leonard, huh?”

“Yup,” Sara said.

“Mona told me this morning, and I have to say, I was a little surprised.”

Sara made a noncommittal sound, which was apparently Gary’s cue to continue.

“I mean, he doesn’t seem like your type.”

She really didn’t want to have this conversation with Gary. She didn’t want to have it with anyone, but especially not Gary, who was gifted with an abundance of curiosity and zero social graces.

“He seems like a complete 180 from Ava. She’s all government and pantsuits, and he’s all...rebellion and tight pants.”

With that description forever engrained on her mind, Sara nodded. “I guess.”

“So what made you go from Ava to Leonard?”

Sara blinked. “Well...Ava and I didn’t work out. Why would I go for someone just like her?”

Gary stared at her. “Okay, fine. That makes sense. But why  _ Leonard _ ?”

She looked over the crowd, catching a glimpse of his profile as he ordered their drinks. “He’s my best friend. He’s seen me at my absolute worst and still hangs around.” She shrugged. “He makes me happy.”

Gary smiled at her, his eyes wide behind his glasses. “How’d you two get together?”

“He walked me back after drinks one night, and kissed me.”

“That’s...so Hollywood,” he gasped. “Two best friends, getting together like that.”

Sara’s smile was a bit more genuine that time. “Yeah, it was.”

“Well, Mona and I are very happy, too,” Gary said.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Leonard returned with two drinks. He placed one down for Sara and told Gary, “Rumor is the brides are coming in a few minutes, so if you want a drink before dinner, you should go now.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. Thanks, Leonard.”

“You’re welcome,” Leonard replied, taking the seat Gary vacated to sit next to Sara.

Sara sipped the scotch Leonard had brought back for the two of them, her brows raised above the glass.

“I’ll remember that,” he told her.

“But if I’d made him leave, I never would have heard Gary describe you as ‘rebellion and tight pants.’”

“What does that even mean?” He frowned.

“It made sense in context.”

Their conversation ended when the emcee told them all to return to their seats for the entrance of the bridal party and the brides. Leonard’s hand landed on her knee as they clapped and cheered for the bridal party and the entrance of Ava and Jessie. As soon as they entered, dinner was served and Gary hurried back, two drinks in hand as he found his seat. Mona didn’t join them, as she was at a table in the front. In fact, at their eight-person table, it was just the three of them. Sara knew she should feel slighted, but she really didn’t.

The dinner was delicious, and Gary provided most of the conversation without much input from either of them. Leonard disappeared as often as he could to get drinks, but most of them went to Gary.

Soon, it was announced that Ava and Jessie would share their first dance.  Something slow and melodic began to play, a Frank Sinatra classic piping through the speakers. It was a lovely song, and the two of them danced well together. They fit.  Sara recalled the two times she’d tried to get Ava to go clubbing. They’d never moved as in sync as she and Jessie did now. She smiled at them.

“You’re handling this really well,” Gary said as the song ended. “I don’t know that I could go to my ex’s wedding.”

“I’m glad she’s happy,” Sara said honestly.

Mona joined them for a little bit before Ava and Jessie cut the cake. Then the music began to play in earnest, the line at the bar grew exponentially, and everyone started to mill around.

“Let me know when you want to go,” she told Leonard. “We don’t have to stay.”

“We have to stay for a little bit.”

“Why?”

Leonard stood up and held out his hand to her. “Don’t you wanna dance, Sara?”

She took his hand, and he led her out onto the dance floor. She could still feel some glares from Ava’s friends and coworkers, but she’d been invited and she didn’t particularly care at this point. They lost themselves in the crowd, until Leonard found what was apparently a suitable spot, and stopped. He turned towards her and lifted their joined hands as he put his other one around her waist. Sara put hers on his shoulder, smiling.

He didn’t have any formal training, but he was good at finding the beat and moving to it with more confidence than most of the people around them.

“Thought you didn’t dance,” Sara said, as the songs began to shift around them and they picked up the pace.

“You only asked once.”

“One rejection was enough,” she said with a small smile, to take the sting away.

Leonard tugged her a little closer, speaking into her ear. “I’ve got a long list of regrets, and not saying yes that night is up there at the top.”

She wrapped her arm a little tighter around his shoulder, looking up at him with a grin. “Dunno. I think this all turned out pretty well. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be.”

Leonard rolled his eyes like she knew he would. He had strong opinions about destiny and fate. “Sure, Lance. This was all just a big plan.”

She laughed and leaned her cheek against his chest, the perfect height to hear his heartbeat. She felt him take a breath and his hand held her even closer than before.

They danced like that for a few more songs, Leonard pressed the occasional kiss to her hair. Soon, they weren’t doing much more than swaying slightly to the music, his hand tracing patterns in the small of her back, his breath against his ear.

He leaned down. “Wanna get out of here?”

Sara’s heart jumped and she pulled back enough to smile up at him. “That’s a hell of a line.”

“Did it work?”

She grinned and was about to say yes when Leonard went still, his eyes focusing on something behind her. His hands tightened on Sara for the slightest second, before he let go of her waist.

“Hey, Sara.”

Sara turned around to see Ava standing behind them, looking like a vision in white.

“Hi, Ava.”

“Mind if I cut in, for old time’s sake?” Ava asked, looking at Leonard briefly.

“Up to Lance,” he answered shortly.

Ava blinked, and they both looked at Sara.

Sara nodded. “Sure. One dance.”

Leonard caught her eye, making sure she was sincere in being okay with it, then stepped back into the crowd.

Ava took over Leonard’s position, but the two of them fumbled for a moment on who would lead. Sara let Ava do it, seeing as it was her wedding and all.

“Congratulations,” Sara said genuinely. “Everything was really pretty.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you could make it.”

“Yeah, thanks for the invite.”

They fell into a heavy silence, that was so different from her silences with -

“So, you and _Leonard Snart_ , huh?”

Sara nodded, the way Ava said his name grating on her a little. “Yup.”

“You’re...together?”

“We are.”

“Wow. That’s great. That’s so...great.” Ava dropped her eyes for a moment, taking a breath. 

It started to get awkward, so Sara said, “Jessie seems really awesome.”

“She is,” Ava said, her smile returning. “She really is.”

“Good. I’m happy for you.”

Ava nodded, but her smile was a little confused. “You seem...different.”

Sara shrugged one shoulder. “We’re both different.”

“I always had a feeling about you and Leonard,” Ava said quietly. “You sure you’re happy with him?”

Sara decided to take that as concern for her, rather than a dig at Leonard. “I’m sure.”

“Really?” Ava pressed. She laughed a little when Sara narrowed her eyes. “I just meant that...he doesn’t seem like your type.”

“He’s my best friend,” Sara said. “We’ve been close for years.”

“Yeah, but there’s a big difference between friendship and romance, Sara. I just want to make sure you’re taken care of, and I don’t know that Leonard Snart is the person to do it.”

“I appreciate it,” Sara said, feeling nothing of the sort, “but Len’s been great.”

“I just want you to be sure -”

“I  _ am  _ sure,” Sara said sharply, trying to keep her voice down.

“Sara, he was a criminal.”

“And I killed people.”

“ _Leonard Snart_ isn’t -”

“I love him.”

Ava stopped in place for a moment, eyes wide. Sara stopped, too. She was surprised at having said it, here of all places, but she knew that it was true. Quickly, she took over leading, making sure that she wouldn’t be the one to cause a scene at Ava’s wedding.

“We might not make sense to you,” Sara said quietly, “but he likes me exactly the way I am. I’m happy with him.”

“That’s...that’s good,” Ava said, still frowning.

“It is.” Thankfully, the song began to wind down, and Sara was able to stop moving. “I’m really happy for you and Jessie.”

“Thank you,” Ava said, letting go of Sara’s hand.

Sara smiled, and before the final chord of the song faded away, she was moving away through the dancers.

It was easy to find Leonard, he wasn’t far, lingering on the edge of the dance floor. Sara took his hand and pulled him towards the door as the emcee announced that it was time for the bouquet toss. They disappeared in the chaos of people moving forward.

As soon as they got outside, out of sight of Ava and her wedding, Leonard tried to stop her. “Hey, are you okay? Did she say -”

Sara turned and, grabbing the lapels of Leonard’s jacket, she kissed him.

He seemed surprised, but his hands quickly found their place around her, holding her tightly as Sara tried to explain without words what he meant to her. Deciding it wasn’t enough, she broke the kiss and met his eyes.

“I love you.”

He started to smile, but she wasn’t done.

“I love you, and I think I’ve loved you for a while already, which is insane, because we’ve only been together for a day, but I love you, so much. And I’m sorry if you think I’m crazy, but I wanted to tell you.”

Leonard grinned, running his thumb along her cheek. “Don’t you remember, Lance? I’ve been all in for years.”

She stared at him, and he let out a little laugh before elaborating.

“I’ve been in love with you since I saw you beat up those guys in the alley. I don’t think you’re crazy.”

“This is insane, though.”

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “I’ve learned not to question the good things in life.”

Sara laced her fingers in his. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Took the words right out of my mouth.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My M-rating is earned here. NSFW kiddos.

They walked back to the hotel, Sara tucked under Leonard’s arm, with his jacket on her shoulders. The concierge smiled at them as they returned, and Leonard nodded back. They took the elevator back up to the third floor, a man with his eyes trained on his phone jumping in with them.

A little irritated at a lost opportunity, Sara busied herself by playing with Leonard’s tie. His hand moved up to run his fingers along the back of her neck. Sara shivered, having nothing to do with the cold, and looked up at him.  The corner of his mouth turned up, his eyes catching hers and staying there. He was barely touching her, and she could feel her heartbeat speeding up, just from the look in his eye.

The elevator doors slid open, and the two of them slipped past the man, who didn’t acknowledge them, not even when Leonard said, “Have a good night.”

The walk to her room seemed unending. Leonard handed over her phone and key card, and Sara took them after a moment’s hesitation. She reached her door and paused, looking at him. Leonard merely smiled faintly.

Sara unlocked her door and stepped inside, holding it open for Leonard in a wordless invitation.

He followed her in, and Sara shut the door, sliding the deadbolt into place to prevent interruptions, feeling his eyes on her back as he stood behind her.

Turning around, Sara looked up at him. They didn’t say anything, and for a breath, neither of them moved.

Then Leonard took a step towards her, cupping her cheek as he bent down to kiss her. Sara inhaled, her arms going around his shoulders as she got up on her toes, the heels still not enough to make them level. For a moment, they both seemed content to just kiss, but then Leonard parted his lips and Sara could taste him and -

Oh, she was lost.

She found another half-inch of height, just enough to press herself against his front seamlessly. Leonard made a sound in the back of his throat. His free hand, which had landed on her waist, tightened and then slid lower, deliberately, along the curve of her hip, to curl around the back of her thigh. Sara barely had a moment to prepare, the tightening of his muscles the only warning as he lifted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and he pressed her hard against the door, the locks rattling as her back hit the wood. He ground against her, his mouth still moving against hers.

Sara broke away to swear and gasp for air, and though she heard Leonard breathing louder than normal, he turned to the same spot on her neck which had made her go weak earlier today, his attention to detail not going unappreciated.

Somehow, his hands had slid under the hem of her dress, his rough fingers running up her thighs. Sara rolled her hips and Leonard’s rhythm stuttered.

“Jesus, Sara,” he whispered, resting his head against her shoulder for a second. “Are you sure -”

“Positive,” she said, her lips brushing the hinge of his jaw. “Please.”

He didn’t seem inclined to ask again and Sara was so grateful. She pushed his jacket off of his shoulders, Leonard shifting to hold her up with one arm and then the other until it hit the ground. As he replaced his hands, he slid them below her dress, hiking it up around her waist. All the while, they continued to kiss, messy and sometimes mixed with laughter and still somehow perfect.

Sara slithered her hands between them, removing Leonard’s belt and undoing the button. Before she could get any farther, Leonard grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

“Wait, wait a second,” he breathed.

“Len,” Sara complained.

“I had a plan.”

“Throw away the plan.” She shifted against him and he let out a slow breath.

“Tempting, but I promise it’ll be worth it.”

“This is so good, though.”

He let go of her wrist to kiss her slowly and very thoroughly. “I don’t want ‘so good,’” he murmured. “I want exceptional. Outstanding. Fantastic. Out of this world.”

That was...intriguing. And the door was rather hard on her back.

So she didn’t complain when Leonard pulled her closer and walked them to the door that adjoined their rooms. He pushed it open and let Sara slide off of him.

Sara was mildly distracted by the champagne chilling on the counter and the two flutes waiting next to it. Somehow his room seemed cleaner than hers, and she could see his sweater hanging in the closet.

She looked over at the champagne with a smile. “So you had high hopes for tonight?”

Leonard took a step nearer. “Tonight, tomorrow, forever.”

Sara waited for the balking, the panic, but all she felt was a sense of...homecoming. Grabbing his tie, Sara tugged him down towards her. “Sounds good.”

Sara kissed him, trying to convey everything else she was thinking without words. Leonard seemed to understand just fine. She felt his hands winding around her sides, searching for the zipper. Her job was easier, the buttons on his shirt sliding smoothly out of place. Undoing the tie, she pulled it slowly from around his neck, as he found the zipper on her dress and slid it down.

Taking a half step back, Sara reached up and undid the tie on her halter, letting it fall around her.

Leonard took a breath, his gaze running slowly down and back up. By the time he reached her face again, his eyes were dark. Sara smiled a little, moving forward to push his shirt off of his lean shoulders. He helped her along, shrugging and letting it drop on the floor, so uncharacteristically unconcerned with his clothes.

As soon as his hands were free of the cuffs, he reached out and grabbed her, tugging her against him. Kissing was so much more intense when she could feel his skin against hers, the scars not a hesitation for either of them. They made their way to the bed, shedding the rest of their clothes as Leonard wrapped his arms around her, and lowered them both to the bed. 

Sara didn’t know how much time they spent there, hands wandering over skin, learning each other’s memories, lips tracking over every inch they could reach.

Leonard’s hand wandered down between her legs, finally following through with what they started earlier today. Sara threw her head back, grabbing his shoulders, and feeling him smile against her.

“Was th- this part of your plan?” she asked quietly, catching his mouth with hers, not entirely interested in a response.

“A significant portion of it,” Leonard murmured, doing this move with his fingers that made Sara lose her train of thought. And then she lost her mind entirely.

When she came down from her high, Leonard was smiling smugly, kissing her neck and shoulders. “Okay,” she said breathlessly. “I’ll admit...good plan.”

“I know.” He started to move over her with intent. “And it’s not finished yet.”

Although she was intrigued, she was also interested in seeing if she could get Leonard to lose that smug look. So she hooked her ankle around his knee, not the bad one that still got sore in the cold, and flipped them, landing on top of him.

Leonard was still smiling, though not quite as smug, his hands landing on her hips automatically. Sara grinned, shifting into a more comfortable position and getting the added bonus of watching Leonard’s eyes slam shut as he let out a ragged breath. 

“You open to some improvisation?” Sara asked.

He let out a small chuckle, his eyes opening. “With you? Absolutely.”

Leaning down, Sara kissed him. Leonard’s hand wove into her hair, his other hand helping guide her into place. As Sara slid home, she went still for a second, meeting his eyes.

She’d effectively gotten rid of the smug look. It was replaced with some like...amazement. He gave her a little smile before pulling her back in to kiss her as Sara started to rock against him.

It had been a long time since Sara had been able to smile and have a good time with sex. Most of the time, she was too busy being concerned about her scars or if her partner was comfortable that she forgot to enjoy herself. But she enjoyed being with Leonard.

He was moving with her, somehow still managing to continue kissing her. His hand slid between them and Sara’s breath hitched as he started to bring her to the brink for a second time. She was already so close, it wasn’t going to take long.

Changing her angle a little, she knew it was a good move as Leonard’s made a sound in the back of his throat, his hand tightening in her hair. Her nails dug into his shoulders, keeping her rhythm through sheer spite at this point. 

“Sara,” he whispered against her mouth, between kisses and other noises that she’d never forget. “Sara -”

“I love you,” Sara said, feeling him lose the battle against himself, though he never stopped between her legs, even as he let out a groan she’d only imagined. Between that and the blissed-out look he gave her, it was all too easy for Sara to follow him, her second orgasm a little gentler than the first and allowing her to keep her eyes open.

She caught her breath, then rolled off of him, the hotel air conditioner popping on and chilling her almost immediately. She grinned at him, darting into the bathroom to clean up, grabbing a damp washcloth for him on her way back.

Leonard was still stretched out on the bed when she stepped out of the bathroom, and Sara enjoyed a very long look before he noticed. He gave her a small scoff but didn’t make any move to cover himself. She handed over the washcloth, then poured the champagne into the glasses before getting into bed, underneath the covers. Leonard joined her, taking the glass of champagne she passed to him. Instead of drinking it, though, he dipped in for another kiss, which distracted them for several more minutes. Eventually, Sara laughed and pushed him away a little, sitting up and rescuing her glass from where it was tilting dangerously.

“So,” she started, once the drink was less precariously placed. “Our friends are going to lose their minds when they find out that we’re together.”

Leonard chuckled. “When I last checked, I had 18 messages from Lisa and seven from Mick.”

“I was thinking that when we get back, maybe you and I shouldn’t -”

She broke off as the smile on Leonard’s face disappeared, his eyes dropping away from hers. “Right, we shouldn’t.”

“Len -”

“It’s fine, Lance, I get it,” he said, putting his champagne down on the nightstand.

“You obviously don’t.” She put her champagne down and turned more fully towards him, failing to get him to look at her.

“I do, and it’s fine if you don’t want -”

“Leonard Snart, shut the hell up and listen to me,” she ordered.

He let out a little breath and looked at her, his eyes a lot further away than they had been just a few moments before.

For how amazing he was at helping her through her issues, Sara sometimes forgot that Leonard had his own airport’s worth of baggage, too. Intimacy issues, trust issues, abandonment with a healthy dose of childhood trauma. It was just that he never really seemed to exhibit those issues with her, and sometimes she forgot that he was still healing, too.

She grabbed his hand, not dropping her gaze. “I’m not going to give this up for anything in the world. I do want you, in every sense of the word, and I’ll keep telling you that every day until you believe it.”

He shook his head, “Sara -”

“Leonard. I’m serious. You want John to marry us outside Harry’s place in a year or two, or tomorrow, I don’t care. I’m all in. I want you. I love you.”

She saw his throat work for a moment, but he didn’t say anything.

“I’m sorry I had shitty phrasing,” she continued, giving him a little smile. “All I was going to say was that we shouldn’t tell them immediately, because apparently there’s $300 on the line. I wanted to make them sweat a little. But,” she added, crawling closer to sit across his lap, “I’m also down to shout it from the rooftops and take out a billboard or three.”

“A billboard?” he asked, the light returning to his eyes.

“Sure,” she said, kissing his forehead and cheek before moving to his neck. “‘I’m in love with Leonard Snart and the amazing sex we have.’”

“Amazing, hmm?” He was smiling again and Sara was amazed at how long it took her to realize she was in love with him, considering his smile could make or break her week. 

“Outstanding. Fantastic,” she elaborated, grinning as he wrapped his arms around her, champagne forgotten.

“Not out of this world?” Leonard asked.

“We can always try again.”

He dipped her down, looming over her. “Insatiable.”

“Starving,” Sara threw back at him.

“I love you, too,” he said. Leonard kissed her until she was breathless and both of them worked up again. Then he pulled back. “Alright, Lance, what’s your plan?” He started to move down her body, no clothes to impede his movement and the thin sheets sliding away before him.

“Plan?” she asked, dazed.

He smiled, that smug smile that she definitely was learning to love, “To make our friends sweat it out.” Leaning down, she felt his breath between her legs and closed her eyes.

It took her a lot longer than it should have to come up with a plan, but neither of them seemed to mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Mick followed Leonard into the Legends bar the next day, with a mild frown. Leonard had returned from the trip and shut himself in his room without so much as a word to Mick, which was...unlike him.

Mick wasn’t one to get involved in any of the group’s stupid relationships, but he thought Leonard and Blondie might have really stood a chance. He wasn’t stupid; he saw how pissed Leonard had been when Ava had started in on her bullshit with Blondie. Half of the reason Mick had been so outspoken was because he knew Leonard would never say a word, even when they all saw that Blondie was unhappy.

He really thought that this trip was going to be the turning point, but if they let this pass them by, maybe they were never gonna happen.

And it was so damn irritating that it bothered him.

He hoped, when they got to the bar, that maybe he’d just misread Leonard’s silence for exhaustion, but as they all filed into their seats, Leonard was between Lisa and Palmer, with Blondie on the other side. Mick, from his stool on the edge, stared at them. Sara seemed to be going out of her way to avoid looking at Leonard, who was uncharacteristically focused on whatever nonsense Palmer was spilling.

Mick caught Lisa’s eye, seeing the same concern in her gaze that he knew was in his. He took a long pull from his beer, frowning.

The whole evening passed, with the group consciously avoiding talking about the wedding and the trip. Time seemed to drag on until Blondie and Snart both spoke at the same time.

“I’ve got to get going -”

“I’m a little beat, so I -”

The whole table got quiet as the two of them broke off at the same time, awkwardly half-standing to leave. Neither one of them would ever back down, so Mick watched as they both got their coats in silence, heading out the door as separately as they could without making it obvious that they didn’t want to be together. Mick watched as they headed out into the night, barely even looking at one another, the door closing behind them.

“What the hell happened?” Charlie said, looking around at all of them.

“I have no idea,” Harry answered, frowning at the door.

Caitlin slid down in her seat. “I really thought this would work.”

Lisa swore, “They’re just both so goddamn -”

There was a knock on the window, interrupting Lisa. Mick turned to see Leonard and Sara standing outside. Sara gave them a big grin, then grabbed Leonard’s jacket and planted a hell of a kiss on him. For once, Leonard didn’t seem to balk at the public display, his arms tightening around Blondie’s waist until Mick couldn’t tell where one of them started and the other one ended.

Mick scoffed, but couldn’t hide the grin that was growing on his face. Lisa was open-mouthed, but he could see the smile starting there, too. Cisco made a high pitched sound and Mick thought he heard Constantine give a tiny, slightly disappointed sigh.

The two outside broke apart, and Sara’s grin was brighter than the lights. Mick was more amused at how Leonard couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her. He said something to Sara and she looked up at him, that same adoration in her eyes, and Mick decided he could deal with seeing Blondie around the apartment more if she could make Leonard look like that.

Leonard glanced up and smirked at Lisa before giving Mick a wink. Sara waved at all of them, then the two of them started off, hand in hand.

“Well, shit,” Cisco said, tossing some money onto the table. “I lost.”

It was echoed by all of them, money landing in the center. Mick sniffed and gathered it all up.

Charlie was grinning at him, eyebrow cocked up slightly.

“I know damn well betting against Snart never goes well. And when you add Blondie into it, no way was I losing.” He didn’t mention his doubts earlier. Mick stuffed most of the cash into his pockets, then tossed the rest at Constantine. “Get us a couple rounds to celebrate.”

Ray stood, obviously to help Constantine, but he paused and looked at all of them. “So Sara definitely won the breakup, right?”

“Dunno, Haircut. Seems like Snart won that one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading one of the fluffiest things I've ever written. :D Hope you liked it.


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